A backup service should answer a practical question: can the business recover the information it needs within an acceptable time? A green job status is useful, but it does not prove that a complete working recovery has been tested. Start by identifying the data, applications, and people needed to resume a critical task.
Define scope and recovery expectations
List workstations, shared folders, business applications, cloud services, and important configuration files. Identify which data is authoritative and who owns it. Do not assume that a synchronized folder, email retention setting, and backup product provide the same recovery options.
Agree on how much recent work the business could afford to lose and how long it could operate without each system. These expectations guide backup frequency and recovery design. A payroll deadline may require a different plan from an archive of old project files.
Ask how a restore would actually work
Request an explanation of file recovery, account recovery, and broader system restoration. Who authorizes the restore? Who has the credentials if the normal administrator is unavailable? Where will the restored data go, and how will someone confirm it is complete?
A useful test might restore a representative folder to a separate location, verify file contents and permissions, and record the elapsed time. Larger recovery scenarios require application dependencies, licensing, network access, and business validation. Do not test by overwriting live data without an agreed plan.
Protect the recovery path
Backup access should not depend entirely on the same compromised account that could affect production. Review separation of access, retention, encryption, and the available protection against deletion. Keep recovery instructions accessible during an outage. CISA recommends protected backups and regular recovery testing in its ransomware guidance.
Compare service proposals
Ask what is included in the recurring fee, what recovery assistance costs, how failed jobs are handled, and what happens when storage grows. Confirm how data is exported or transferred if you change providers. Document responsibilities for systems excluded from the service.
Use our backup and recovery checklist to prepare a review. Our managed-IT service can help organize monitoring, maintenance, and recovery planning around the systems your business uses.