Backups you have actually tested

If something breaks, can I get my files back?

Only if the backup works. CISA, the U.S. cyber agency, says backups are your best hope of recovery from a ransomware attack[2]. Ransomware is a program that locks your files and demands payment.

Our rule is three copies

1. Your live data on the server.

2. A second copy on separate storage in the same place.

3. A third copy that is offline or immutable.

Offline means unplugged or disconnected. Immutable means it cannot be changed or erased for a set time. CISA advises offline, encrypted backups, tested on a regular basis[3]. The third copy is the one an attacker cannot reach.

The restore test has four steps

1. Pick a few files and one record.

2. Delete a copy of them, on a test folder only.

3. Restore them from backup.

4. Open them and check they are right.

We run the first restore test after setup and before you sign acceptance. You watch it happen. Then we repeat it on a schedule you choose. The first test has its own guide: your first restore test.

If someone else keeps your backups

If a third party keeps your backups, put the requirements in the contract[3].

Write two things down

On your record page, write where the backups live and the date of the last restore test. If either line is blank, you do not yet know that you can recover.

Sources

1. MeshVault, The MeshVault Book, Edition 3, 2026-09-29, page 028 (backups you have actually tested), with pages 029 and 035 for the order of work and the setup week.
2. CISA, Back Up Business Data. Read 2026-09-29. cisa.gov Book source 9.
3. CISA, StopRansomware Guide. Read 2026-09-29. cisa.gov Book source 10.