Recommendations on How to Conduct, Maintain, and Test Backup Files

Recommendations on How to Conduct, Maintain, and Test Backup Files

BENEFITS OF IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE BACKUP STRATEGIES

  • Minimizes impact of data loss incidents.
  • Improves business operations and resiliency.
  • Highlights a commitment to security for MSP clients.

RECOMMENDATIONS
When creating a backup plan, the following considerations and operational issues should be addressed:

  1. IDENTIFY FILES AND PROCESSES FOR BACKUPS 
  • Prioritize files based on business value and operational needs.
  • Identify what backup files/data to secure offline. Consider producing multiple backup file copies.
  • Identify any regulatory and legal data retention requirements, such as chain of custody, that may affect the backup plan and technical approach.
  • Determine if automated or manual processes are best for generating backups, including hard copies.
  1. DETERMINE FREQUENCY OF BACKUPS
  • Establish a desired time frame to restore files and applications to minimize negative impacts to the organization’s mission or business operations–known as recovery time objective.
  • Determine the maximum age of the backup files to enable operations to be reestablished
    with minimum acceptable interruption of operations– known as the recovery point
    objective
  1. TEST BACKUP RECOVERY PLAN
  • Develop response and recovery processes and procedures that utilize the backup files and backup systems. Conduct tabletop exercises to identify opportunities for improvement.
  • Determine workplace relocation options: e.g., fire and flood could require temporary or permanent office relocation; not all backup capabilities will be portable.
  • Test planning for recovery: Test individual systems and the entire operation (if possible).
  • Monitor the backup processes for failures and consistency.