Backup and disaster recovery help a business prepare for outages, data loss, and cyberattacks. A backup is a recoverable copy of data. Disaster recovery is the wider plan for restoring systems and services so people can work again.
A copy of your files alone does not guarantee recovery. You also need working applications, access to accounts, clear responsibilities, and a tested sequence for bringing services back. Start with the work your business must keep doing, then build a plan around it.
Know your risks
First, identify the events that could interrupt your business. Common examples include:
- Equipment failure
- Cyberattacks
- Natural disasters
- Human error
- Power outages
- Internal sabotage
Consider the impact of each event on staff, clients, and daily operations. For example, a lost laptop needs a different response from a flooded office. Name the person who will coordinate recovery and keep contact details available outside your main systems.
Understand your systems
Record the servers, networks, cloud services, software, and devices your team relies on. Include who owns each system, where its data lives, and which other services it needs. This inventory helps you decide what to restore first.
Also check what each backup actually covers. A cloud subscription does not automatically meet every recovery need. Review retention, deleted-item recovery, and separate backup options for each service. Our guide to Microsoft 365 data protection explains why those distinctions matter.
Set RTO and RPO for backup and disaster recovery
Agree on recovery targets with the people responsible for business operations. Two measures help turn a general wish for fast recovery into a testable plan:
- Recovery Time Objective (RTO): The target recovery window for a system before an outage has an unacceptable business impact. See NIST’s RTO definition.
- Recovery Point Objective (RPO): The point in time to which you need to recover data. It helps define how much recent work you can afford to lose. See NIST’s RPO definition.
For example, a four-hour RTO and a one-hour RPO describe different goals: restore service within four hours and recover data no older than one hour. These are planning targets, not promises. Test whether your tools, staff, and dependencies can meet them.
Back up your data
Choose a backup service by the systems it supports and the recovery process you need. Check backup frequency, retention, access controls, storage location, and restore options. Compare the full cost, including storage and recovery assistance.
CISA’s ransomware guidance recommends offline, encrypted backups and regular recovery tests. Ransomware can also target accessible backup copies. Therefore, review how your backup design separates recovery copies from the systems and accounts it protects.
Device and server backups
Confirm whether you can restore individual files, a whole device, or an application with its settings. Keep the recovery instructions and required access information available to authorized staff during an outage.
Cloud application backups
Check coverage for the specific service and data types your team uses. Also confirm who can restore data and how long recovery may take. A successful backup status is useful, but a restore test gives stronger evidence that the data is usable.
Test your backup and disaster recovery plan
Schedule tests and repeat them after major system changes. Restore sample files and run a recovery exercise for a critical workflow. Then ask its business owner to confirm that the recovered data and application work as expected.
Record elapsed time, the age of recovered data, missing items, and any blocked steps. Compare the results with your RTO and RPO. Assign fixes to named owners and test again after those fixes. Include a scenario where your main office or usual administrator is unavailable.
Review the plan before disaster strikes
A useful backup and disaster recovery plan changes as your business changes. Review it when you add applications, move offices, replace equipment, or change key staff. Keep responsibilities and recovery priorities clear.
Parried can help you review technology risks and plan practical next steps through managed IT services. To discuss your current backup coverage and recovery goals, schedule a free IT strategy session.