Backup Policy
Set expectations for backup scope, retention, testing, and restoration responsibility.
Purpose
Backup work is not complete when files are copied; it is complete when recovery expectations are understood and restore evidence exists. Recovery time and recovery point expectations should be written before a crisis.
Policy shape
| Rule | State the expected behavior in direct language. |
|---|---|
| Reason | Explain the operating risk or obligation behind the rule. |
| Owner | Name who maintains the policy and decides exceptions. |
| Evidence | Define what proves the policy is being followed. |
| Review | Set a review cadence and update trigger. |
When to use
- When the work repeats often enough that memory is no longer reliable.
- When more than one person may request, perform, review, or inherit the work.
- When risk, approval, evidence, or handoff needs to be visible later.
Common failure modes
- Backups exist but cannot be restored.
- Retention does not match operational or legal need.
- Ownership is unclear during restore pressure.
Review guidance
Review this page after a material incident, after a role or system change, and on a normal cadence appropriate to its risk. During review, check whether the owner is still correct, whether inputs are still complete, whether the output is still useful, and whether related pages need updates.
External guidance
These resources are references for terminology, control thinking, or review design. DailyWF adapts the ideas into lightweight operating pages rather than reproducing full standards.
- NIST SP 800-34 Rev. 1 Contingency Planning GuideContingency planning concepts useful for recovery and continuity workflows.
- NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0General cybersecurity risk management structure: govern, identify, protect, detect, respond, recover.