Why Testing Your Backup Might Be the Most Important Thing You’re Not Doing. When you think about cybersecurity, you probably feel good knowing you’ve got a backup system in place.
After all, it’s your safety net, right? But here’s something many small businesses don’t realize until it’s too late:
Up to 60% of backup jobs fail at least once per year. And more than half of small businesses never test their backups.
Let’s unpack what that really means—and why it’s worth giving your backup strategy a second look.
The Numbers Behind Backup Failure
We’re not talking about scary hypotheticals here. These stats come straight from well-respected sources in the IT and security world:
60% of backup jobs fail at least once a year
Source: Gartner
This doesn’t mean your entire backup system is broken—it could be a missed file, a failed sync, or a software hiccup. But even a small failure can cause big headaches if it happens at the wrong time.
58% of small businesses never test their backups
Source: Datto Ransomware Report 2023
Think of it like a fire drill you never run. You hope it works, but you don’t really know.
1 in 3 businesses couldn’t restore data from their backup when they needed it
Source: Arcserve/StorageCraft
The data was technically “there,” but it couldn’t be restored—either because of corruption, outdated versions, or missing files.
Why This Matters for Business Owners
Picture this:
You experience a system outage. Maybe it’s ransomware, a hardware failure, or just someone accidentally deleting the wrong folder.
You think: “We’re good—we have backup!”
- But recovery doesn’t go as planned:
- The last backup was older than you thought
- Something important wasn’t included
- The restore process takes longer than expected
Suddenly you’re spending hours—or even days—trying to get back up and running.
It’s not the end of the world, but it’s stressful, expensive, and avoidable.
The truth is that backups are only valuable if they’re working—and regularly tested.
What a Reliable Backup Plan Should Include
Having a backup isn’t just about installing software. It’s about having a clear process that gives you confidence it’ll work when needed.
Here’s what that looks like:
- Daily monitoring (so someone knows if a backup fails)
- Test restores (to prove recovery actually works)
- Offsite copies (in case of fire, theft, or ransomware)
- Fast recovery times (so downtime doesn’t drag on)
- Clear reporting (for insurance, compliance, and peace of mind)
What You Can Ask Your IT Provider
If you’re not sure how your current backup setup stacks up, try asking:
- When was our last test restore?
- How do we know if backups are failing?
- How quickly can we recover everything if we need to?
- Are we backing up our cloud data (like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace)?
- Can we see a report showing backup success rates?
If they can answer confidently—you’re probably in good shape. If not… it might be time for a backup review.
Final Thought
Backups are like seatbelts. You don’t need them every day—but when you do, they’d better work.
Setting it and forgetting it might have worked 10 years ago. But today, small businesses are more reliant on their data than ever—and more targeted by threats.
Taking just a bit of time to verify your backup could save you days of lost productivity (and thousands of dollars) down the line.
Want a Second Opinion?
We offer a Backup Health Check—we’ll review your current backup system, check for recent successful jobs, verify alerting is in place, and make sure your data is being protected as expected.
No tech jargon. No hard sell. Just clarity on whether your backups are actually doing their job.
Let’s make it easy—book a quick call and we’ll take care of everything from there.
Schedule a quick call
About the Author
Dicar Networks delivers trusted IT and cybersecurity services to small businesses in San Jose, Morgan Hill, Gilroy, Campbell, and nearby areas—keeping them secure, compliant, and resilient.
