Why should backups be routinely tested?

Why should backups be routinely tested?

• A. To reduce data volume.
• B. To verify recoverability and integrity of data.
• C. To speed up data creation.
• D. To avoid encryption.

Answer: (B)

Testing backups centers on recoverability and integrity. By doing restore drills, you verify that backup copies can be used to fully restore systems and data to a known good state after a loss or disaster, and you confirm the data is not corrupted and remains accurate, with correct metadata and permissions. Regularly checking these aspects helps catch issues like incomplete backups, corrupted archives, or missing logs before an outage forces a failure. This ensures you can meet required recovery time and recovery point objectives. The purpose isn’t to reduce data volume, speed up data creation, or avoid encryption.

Testing backups centers on recoverability and integrity. By doing restore drills, you verify that backup copies can be used to fully restore systems and data to a known good state after a loss or disaster, and you confirm the data is not corrupted and remains accurate, with correct metadata and permissions. Regularly checking these aspects helps catch issues like incomplete backups, corrupted archives, or missing logs before an outage forces a failure. This ensures you can meet required recovery time and recovery point objectives. The purpose isn’t to reduce data volume, speed up data creation, or avoid encryption.