An hour once a year.
WHAT TO CHECK
Are backups actually running, with recent files in the storage
Do they include everything: files, database, email
Is retention appropriate for how you would discover a problem Is the storage still accessible, and is the authorisation current Has the site grown beyond what the arrangement handles Have you tested a restore in the last year
WHAT TO RECONSIDER
Whether frequency matches what you can afford to lose, which changes as the business changes Whether retention covers a slowly discovered problem Whether anyone other than you could restore
WHAT CHANGES OVER TIME
Sites grow, so backups take longer and consume more storage Data becomes more valuable, so acceptable loss shrinks Staff change, so who can act changes Storage accounts expire or change
THE TEST THAT MATTERS
Restore something. Not a check that files exist: an actual restore to a staging subdomain, verified.
WHAT TO UPDATE
Your recovery documentation, to match reality.
THE HONEST QUESTION
If the account disappeared this afternoon, what would you actually still have, and how long would it take to be running again?
