THE ESSENTIALS. | ISSUE 001
Your business needs backups, but having a backup service doesn't necessarily mean your data is protected. You need to know what's being backed up, how much data you could lose, whether those backups are secure, and if anyone has actually tested recovering them.
You don't need to manage the backups yourself. You do need to know they're working.
Imagine losing access to your company's data tomorrow morning. How much of it could you afford to lose?
That question is a good place to start because backups aren't just an IT issue. They're a business decision.
First, know what's covered. Your accounting system, customer records, shared files, and other critical business information may live in several places. Some of it might be stored in cloud applications. Don't assume that because a vendor hosts your data, everything is backed up and recoverable. Your IT team should know what's included, what's excluded, and where the gaps are.
Next, understand how often backups happen. If your systems are backed up once a day, you could potentially lose a day's worth of work. For a business processing hundreds of transactions, that could be a serious problem. For another business, it might be acceptable. That's a decision leadership needs to make with IT, based on how the business operates.
Your backups also need protection. If someone gains unauthorized access to your systems, could they delete or damage your backups too? Ransomware and accidental deletion can affect backup data as well as the original files. Your IT provider should be able to explain how backups are protected without giving you a technical lecture.
Then there's testing. A backup report showing everything completed successfully is encouraging, but it doesn't prove the data can be recovered. Someone needs to actually restore data periodically and confirm that it works. You want to know what was tested, when it was tested, and whether the results were successful.
Finally, someone needs to own the entire process. Who checks for failed backups? Who makes sure problems get fixed? Who schedules restore tests?
And who's telling you whether it's all working?
Backups shouldn't be something you discover isn't working when you desperately need them. Your IT team or MSP should provide regular, understandable reporting that gives you confidence or identifies problems before they become emergencies.
Set a regular schedule for your IT team or MSP to provide you with a backup report. Agree on a reporting frequency that fits your business and make sure the report clearly identifies backup successes, failures, unresolved issues, and the results of restore testing.
Ask: Are we backing up all our critical business data, including information stored in cloud applications?
Listen for: A clear list of what's covered, what's excluded, how often backups occur, and whether the potential data loss is acceptable to your business.
Ask: How are our backups protected, and when did we last successfully restore data?
Listen for: An explanation of safeguards against unauthorized access or deletion, plus a specific test date, what was restored, and the result.
Ask: Who is responsible for our backups, and what will I see in the regular report?
Listen for: A named owner, a process for addressing failures, a restore-testing schedule, and reporting you can understand without needing an IT degree.
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What data should your business consider backing up?
Use this as a starting point when discussing backup coverage with your IT team. Not every business uses every category, and some systems may require different recovery arrangements.
Financial records: Accounting software, invoices, payroll records, and transaction data.
Customer and client information: Contact records, project files, contracts, and customer databases.
Email and communications: Business email, calendars, and important messages.
Cloud applications: Data stored in services such as Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, your CRM, and other business-critical applications.
Shared files: Documents stored on servers, shared drives, and cloud file-sharing platforms.
Employee work: Important files stored on laptops, desktops, or other devices that aren't automatically saved to a protected location.
Business systems: Databases, application data, and information needed to operate critical software.
Configuration information: Important system settings and documentation that could help IT rebuild essential services.
The key question: If this information disappeared tomorrow, would your business need it back?
If the answer is yes, make sure your IT team knows about it and can explain how it's protected.