Decide what the test must prove
A successful backup job is useful evidence that a process ran. It does not answer every question about recovery. Choose a specific business activity and identify the files, application, permissions and recent records needed to perform it.
Write down the target before starting. Are you checking one deleted email, the loss of a laptop or the failure of an application server? Use a scope that can be tested safely and assign an application owner to judge whether the result is usable.
Use a safe restoration location
Agree the destination and permissions with the person responsible for the system. Avoid overwriting live records or starting a recovered server in a way that conflicts with the working network. Keep confidential test data protected and limit access to authorised people.
Check whether the recovery route needs the same sign-in, connection or administrator as the failed system. If it does, include that dependency in the test. A recovery process that works only while everything else is healthy does not prove the fallback you intended.
Record what happened
| Check | Record | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery point | Date and time represented by the copy | Shows how much recent work may be missing |
| Access | Who signed in and which route was used | Checks the authorised deputy can operate it |
| Time | Start, usable result and validation time | Separates file transfer from business recovery |
| Content | Files, messages or transactions checked | Makes the result repeatable |
| Follow-up | Owner, action and retest date | Turns a gap into a tracked improvement |
Understand automatic and practical tests
Our pricing guide describes automatic daily tests for server and device backups. Those checks are valuable, but a business exercise should also confirm that people can reach the recovered system and complete an important task. Do not assume an automatic test covers every application integration.
The same distinction applies to a mailbox restore. Check the selected messages, dates, attachments and permissions. Ask the user to confirm the result rather than treating a completed progress bar as proof that the required records have been recovered.
Review the result honestly
The ICO's data security guidance says testing results should be documented and recommendations acted on or their rejection justified. Read ICO data security guidance.
Keep the result beside your recovery targets. If it falls short, identify whether the gap is backup frequency, access, equipment, instructions or a decision that took too long. Agree what to change and repeat the relevant part of the test.
Test at least annually as part of the continuity review, and consider another exercise after important changes. Use proportionate samples between larger tests. Record limitations clearly; a test of one folder is not proof that a whole office can recover within the same time.
What we can do for you
We help you agree priorities, document workarounds and check the recovery arrangements. Continuity planning is quoted as a fixed fee after a free 30 minute call. The technical fallbacks use our standard prices.
| Technical fallback | From per month, plus VAT |
|---|---|
| Independent Microsoft 365 backup | £2.50 per user, included as standard in support agreements |
| Email filtering | £1.50 per user, not needed as an additional filter with Microsoft 365 Premium |
| Server backup with cloud failover | £35 per server |
| Desktop and laptop backup | £10 per device |
| Business phone system | £11 per user |
Monthly starting prices exclude VAT and use a 3 year term billed monthly. Shorter terms cost a little more. Your price and the actual fallback arrangements are confirmed in a written quote.
Questions about this service
Does a backup keep every service running?
No. Backup provides a recovery copy. Alternative access, replacement equipment, staff instructions and decisions are separate parts of a continuity plan.
Will you guarantee a recovery time?
We agree targets after reviewing the systems, dependencies and test results. A planning target or example is not a contractual recovery guarantee.
Is security monitoring an out-of-hours helpdesk?
No. Our security partner's analysts provide the contracted 24x7 account monitoring. Normal support hours are Monday to Friday, 08:30 to 17:30, excluding UK bank holidays.
Where should we start?
Call 01494 866668 for a free 30 minute planning conversation. Describe the activity you could least afford to lose and the arrangements already in place.
Continuity tools
- Free business continuity plan template for small businesses
- How much does an hour of IT downtime cost your business?
- Find your single points of failure
Use these planning aids to prepare a conversation. Do not put passwords or confidential records in a worksheet.
Related information
Talk to us about your business
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