Insights · Question
How often should we test backups?
On a layered schedule: sample file restores frequently, weekly or monthly, to catch drift early; a complete restore of each critical service, with its dependencies, into an isolated environment at least annually and more often where the service changes; and additional tests after any change to backup platforms, storage or critical applications. Each test is timed against the recovery objectives and recorded, with failures recorded as faithfully as successes. The isolation of the copies is tested alongside the restores: a production administrator must be unable to delete them, because an attacker holding those credentials would try.
In more detail
The reasoning.
A successful backup job proves a copy was written. It does not prove the data is complete, that it restores, that the application starts from it, or how long recovery takes. Only a restore test proves those, and insurers and auditors ask for the test records, not the job reports.
Recovery objectives should come from the business through impact analysis, and the measured restore time is compared with them. The gap is usually larger than expected, and closing it is the point of testing.
See backup and restore validation, the validation checklist, backup validation: proving restores, not backups and recovery testing cadence and evidence.
By David Selakovic · Published 2026-10-16 · Revised 2026-10-16 · Reviewed every 90 days