Guides: backup, DRP, BCP and IT continuity

Clear answers to the questions business leaders and IT managers ask: how to back up, how long to keep backups, how to restart after a disaster, and what to do when an incident strikes.

Incident in progress? Server down, ransomware, missing file: follow our “What to do if” guides or call us.

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The IT backup guide

Understand what a real backup is, where to store it, how long to keep it and how to protect it from ransomware. See this section

What is an IT backup?A backup is a restorable copy, kept separate from the original, that lets you return to an earlier state after a failure, an error or an attack.What is the difference between backup and replication?Replication copies the current state, errors included. Backup keeps earlier versions so you can restore a healthy state.What is the difference between backup and archiving?Backup gets the business running again. Archiving keeps a document intact for as long as the business or the law requires.What backup strategy for an SME?An SME first protects the systems people need to work, with an offsite history, an unmodifiable copy and a restore test.How long should you keep your backups?Keep a few weeks of backups to get back to work, and separate, longer-term archiving only for documents that must serve as evidence.How many backups should you keep?Keep at least three copies of your data, one offsite and one that cannot be erased, and enough dates to go back to before the incident.Where should you store your backups?Store one copy outside the building and outside the administration network, ideally encrypted and impossible to erase with everyday accounts.Should you outsource your backups?Yes, if a disaster or ransomware on your internal network must leave an intact copy. A local copy remains useful for restoring a file quickly.Why make an offsite backup?An offsite backup survives fire, flooding and an attack that encrypts everything reachable on the local network.How do you protect your backups against ransomware?Keep a copy off the network, block its deletion for a set period, separate accounts and check that a pre-attack version can be restored.What is an immutable backup?An immutable backup cannot be modified or deleted for a set period, even by an administrator. Definition, limitations and implementation.What is WORM storage?WORM (write once, read many) storage accepts a single write, then only reads, until the end of a retention period.Immutable backup: how long should data be retained?Against ransomware, lock for 30 to 90 days. For a legal obligation, lock for the period set by law, and only the documents concerned.How should you back up a physical server?Back up the image of the physical server, not just its files, and keep an offsite copy so you do not have to reinstall the system by hand.What backup do you need for a virtual machine?Back up a virtual machine with a tool that understands its state, and check that it restarts somewhere other than on the original hypervisor.How do you back up a NAS?A NAS is not a backup. Copy its shares and configuration elsewhere, or a NAS failure takes out the originals and the only copy.How do you back up Microsoft 365?Back up Exchange, OneDrive and SharePoint outside the Microsoft tenant, mailbox by mailbox, with a history the tenant admin cannot erase.How do you back up Google Workspace?Copy Gmail, Drive, Calendar and shared drives outside the Google domain, with a history independent of the recycle bins and Vault.How do you test that a backup works?A backup works if you restore a file, a database or a machine and the result is usable. A “successful” log is not enough.How can you tell whether a business is really protected against data loss?A business is protected if it can name its last successful restore test, the time taken, where the copies are and who holds the key.

DRP and BCP: the IT continuity guide

Resuming after a disaster or carrying on through it: definitions, costs, RPO, RTO, testing and a method for SMEs. See this section

What is a DRP?A DRP is the written, tested procedure for restarting operations after a disaster, usually on a standby environment, within an agreed timeframe.What is a BCP?A BCP keeps essential services running during an outage. The standby environment is already up; it is not built after the disaster.What is the difference between a DRP and a BCP?A BCP limits downtime: the standby is already running. A DRP accepts downtime, then restarts the servers from a chosen backup.DRP or BCP: which should you choose?Choose a BCP if downtime is measured in minutes and is already too costly. Choose a DRP if a few hours of downtime are acceptable.How much does a DRP cost?A DRP costs preparation every month (copies, agents, addresses) and activation per day on the day of a disaster. The standby does not run continuously.How much does a BCP cost?A BCP is paid for every month, incident or not, because the standby instances stay running. The price follows the number and size of servers.How do you build a DRP for an SME?An SME's DRP comes down to a list of servers, an agreed timeframe, a place to restart and a dated test. Everything else is detail.How do you test a DRP?Test a DRP in stages, from the document to a real failover. A server showing a login screen has not proved that the business can work.How often should you test your DRP?Check boot-up often, and run a real failover at least once a year, plus after every change of server or key person.What is an RPO?The RPO is the maximum amount of work you are prepared to lose, expressed as the time elapsed since the last restorable copy.What is an RTO?The RTO is the maximum acceptable downtime, from the moment of the incident until the service is usable again.How do you determine your RPO?Determine your RPO by costing what it takes to redo N hours of work, then choosing the backup frequency that this cost justifies.How do you determine your RTO?Determine your RTO by costing each hour of downtime, then comparing it with the actual duration of a restore you have already timed.What should you do after a cyberattack?After a cyberattack, isolate systems, preserve evidence, find a clean copy and never restore onto a network that is still compromised.How do you restart your IT systems after ransomware?Restart from a copy predating the intrusion, on a clean network, in a set order, after removing the attacker's access.How do you ensure continuity for a critical server?A critical server needs an off-site copy, a properly sized standby, a start-up order and a dated test. The rest of the infrastructure can wait.How do you keep a business application available during an outage?A business application stays available if its standby is already reachable, with consistent data, without reconfiguring workstations one by one.Outsourced DRP: pros and consAn outsourced DRP avoids a second site. It depends on the provider, the link, the encryption key and a test you still need to carry out.Outsourced BCP: pros and consAn outsourced BCP runs the standby at a provider. It requires a working on-site agent, an adequate link and a prepared failback.

Backing up Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace

What the providers really keep, what they do not guarantee, and how to keep your own copy of emails, files and calendars. See this section

Backing up Microsoft 365: what you need to knowMicrosoft 365 hosts your emails and files, but standard subscriptions keep no independent copy you can restore after a major mistake.Should you back up Microsoft 365?Yes, as soon as losing a mailbox or a team site for more than a few days would be serious. Microsoft’s redundancy does not cover that case.How do you back up Microsoft 365 emails?Back up Exchange Online mailbox by mailbox, outside the tenant, shared mailboxes included, and restore to a test mailbox at least twice a year.Backing up SharePoint and OneDriveSharePoint and OneDrive hold your team files. Their recycle bins and versions do not replace a dated copy kept outside the tenant.Backing up Google WorkspaceBacking up Google Workspace means copying Gmail, Drive, Calendar and shared drives outside the domain, with restore dates.Should you back up Google Workspace?Yes, if Gmail or Drive carry your business. Trash, account restore and Vault only cover short windows or legal needs.Backing up business GmailA business Gmail backup copies mailboxes outside the Google domain, labels included, with several restore points and a restore test.Backing up business Google DriveShared drives are many teams’ file server. A 30-day trash is no substitute for a dated copy kept outside Google.Does Microsoft 365 really include a backup of your data?Not in standard plans. Microsoft sells Microsoft 365 Backup separately, and it stays in its cloud. A copy outside the tenant is an extra choice.Does Google Workspace really include a backup of your data?No. Google provides redundancy, a trash of about thirty days and, depending on the edition, Vault. None of these is a backup outside the domain.

What to do if…: the right steps during an incident

Server down, ransomware, missing file, emptied mailbox: the steps in the right order, before you restore anything. See this section

My server is down: what should I do?Isolate the failure, check the data, find the last clean restore point, restore, then decide whether this server belongs in your DRP.Ransomware has just struckDisconnect the affected machines, do not pay on the spot, do not reformat, and look for a backup that predates the intrusion.A file or folder has disappearedCheck the recycle bin and local versions first, then restore the most recent backup point that still contains a sound copy of the file.A mailbox has been emptied or hackedRevoke sessions and forwarding first, then restore the mailbox to a date before it was emptied. Restoring without stopping the leak achieves nothing.The NAS is not respondingTell an unreachable NAS apart from one whose disks have died. Restore from the external copy, not from the RAID on the same device.Last night’s backup failedOne failed night can be caught up. Several failed nights wipe out your stated RPO. Fix the cause the same day and check again the next morning.

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