The backup and disaster recovery plan every SME needs

Two numbers decide everything

RPO is how much data you can afford to lose — an hour's worth? A day's? RTO is how long you can afford to be down. Every backup decision flows from these two numbers, so write them down first.

The 3-2-1 rule still works

Immutable or off-site is the part that matters in a ransomware event: backups the attacker can encrypt are not backups.

• 3 copies of important data
• 2 different types of storage
• 1 copy off-site or immutable — safe from ransomware

The restore test nobody does

Most businesses discover their backups are broken during the disaster. A quarterly restore test — actually restoring a system to a clean machine and timing it — is the only proof that matters.

Aura's backup and DR engagements include scheduled test restores with written evidence, so the plan is proven, not assumed.