A backup is what lets you recover when something goes wrong, whether that's a deleted folder, a stolen laptop or ransomware that locks every file. Without one, you may lose years of work or be pushed towards paying criminals.
A backup only counts if you can get your data back from it. Many businesses discover their backup was not working on the day they need it.
How to check your own setup
Answer these three questions.
- What exactly is backed up? Email, shared files, accounts data, each laptop?
- Where is the backup kept? Is it separate from the data it protects?
- When did you last restore a file from it?
How to fix it
- List the data you could not work without, starting with accounts, customer records, email and shared files.
- Back it up automatically, at least daily, to a service or device separate from your main systems.
- Keep at least one copy that ransomware cannot reach, for example a cloud backup with its own separate login, or a drive that is disconnected after each backup.
- Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace keep deleted items for a limited time only. A separate backup service for them protects you if an account is hacked or data is deleted.
- Every few months, restore a file and open it. Write down the date.
The mistakes people make
- A backup drive left plugged in all the time, so ransomware encrypts it too.
- Backing up the office computer but not the laptops.
- Never testing a restore.
Got a question about this?
Ask me about your own setup and I'll give you a plain English answer, usually within one working day.