A backup is only as good as its restore
Many organisations discover during an incident that their backups are incomplete, corrupted or missing a critical system. A backup job that reports "success" does not prove that the data can be restored in a usable state.
What recovery testing checks
Recovery testing restores data or complete systems to a separate environment and confirms that they work. It verifies that the right data is included, that the restore process is documented and that the time required is acceptable to the business.
How often to test
Critical systems should be tested regularly, for example quarterly, and after major changes. Less critical systems can be tested less often. Every test should be recorded along with any problems found and fixed.
Start small
Begin by restoring a single important file share or database. Measure how long it takes and what was missing. Use the results to improve the backup strategy before expanding testing to other systems.
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