Data Backup and Recovery Plan

16 items · Technical · Medium difficulty · 1 hour

Practical steps to secure, verify, and recover your data with a 3-2-1 plan.

• List critical files, systems, and data sources

  Include documents, photos, databases, emails, and configuration files.

• Define backup scope, retention, and recovery objectives

  Set retention periods, recovery time objectives (RTO), and recovery point objectives (RPO).

• Implement the 3-2-1 backup rule

  Maintain 3 copies, on 2 different media, with 1 copy offsite.

• Make three copies of each critical dataset

  Primary data, local backup, and offsite/cloud copy.

• Use two different storage media types

  Combine cloud, external SSD/HDD, or NAS to reduce correlated risk.

• Keep one backup copy offsite or in a separate region

  Use cloud or physically transport rotated drives to a separate location.

• Choose a reliable cloud provider and plan

  Compare encryption, redundancy, data center region, SLA, and pricing.

• Configure automated backups for all scheduled sources

  Enable scheduled jobs for systems, databases, and user folders.

• Schedule local external drive backups and implement rotation

  Set weekly or daily local backups and rotate drives monthly or per your RTO.

• Encrypt backups in transit and at rest

  Use strong encryption (AES-256) and TLS for transfers; protect keys separately.

• Automate backup verification and integrity checks

  Use checksums, test restores, or verification tools after each job.

• Run full restore tests quarterly

  Perform end-to-end restores to validate recovery time and data integrity.

• Secure backup credentials and restrict access

  Use MFA, least-privilege accounts, and store keys in a password manager.

• Document backup and recovery procedures and assign owners

  Include step-by-step restore instructions, contacts, and escalation paths.

• Monitor backup jobs, review logs, and set alerting

  Alert on failures, missed schedules, or verification errors.

• Keep backup software, agents, and drive firmware updated

  Apply security updates and test after major upgrades.

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