Imagine arriving at work to find the computer holding tomorrow’s appointments will not start. You know files are “in the cloud”, but nobody is sure which account owns them or how to get them back. A backup review should answer those questions before an interruption.
Start with what you need to keep operating
Write a short inventory organised around your work. A trades business might need job records, quotes and supplier contacts. An office may also depend on shared mailboxes, calendars, templates and application settings.
For each item, record where the working copy lives, who owns the account, how it is protected and who can restore it. Include data inside online services rather than assuming every subscription includes the recovery you need.
Australian Cyber Security Centre guidance recommends covering important data, software and configuration, and testing restoration as part of business continuity planning.
Decide what an acceptable recovery looks like
Ask two plain-language questions: how much recent work could we afford to re-enter, and how long could we operate without this system? There is no single backup schedule that fits every business.
For example, losing a week of an occasionally edited brochure may be manageable. Losing a day of bookings may be much harder. Those are planning examples, not a reason to choose the same schedule for every folder.
Write down a target for your most important systems. Then check whether your backup frequency, retention and restore process can realistically meet it.
Check what sync and recovery actually cover
Synchronisation keeps working copies aligned, including some changes you did not intend. Cloud services may offer version history, deleted-item recovery and other protections, but the scope and time limits vary. Review those features against your own recovery requirements.
The ACSC’s file and device backup guide discusses external and cloud options. Protect backup access, keep recovery information available and avoid a setup where losing one device also removes your only usable copy.
Run a recovery exercise
Start with an isolated test so you do not overwrite live work. Choose a file, identify the correct backup date, restore it to a separate location and check that it opens correctly. Record how long this takes and which permissions are needed.
That first exercise is a useful start, not proof that the whole business can recover. Plan broader tests of applications, dependencies and settings too. Someone other than the usual administrator should know where the recovery instructions are kept.
Give the backup a named owner
Agree who checks failures, who reviews coverage when a new app is introduced and who organises recovery tests. Review the plan when staff, devices or premises change.
SouthlineIT offers backup and business continuity health checks for Adelaide small businesses. A useful starting point is your system inventory and the two recovery targets above; you do not need to know every technical detail before asking for help.
Frequently asked questions
Does OneDrive mean I no longer need a backup plan?
You still need a recovery plan. Review which files are stored there, the recovery features and their limits, account access, and whether your other business systems are covered. Decide on additional backup based on those requirements.
How often should a business back up?
Choose a frequency based on how much recent work the business can afford to lose. Important information that changes throughout the day may need a different approach from rarely edited documents.
Is restoring one file enough to test everything?
No. A file restore checks one part of the process. A fuller recovery exercise also needs to consider applications, settings, account access and dependencies between systems.