Backups are one of those things most businesses know they need, but the real question is whether the backups will actually work when something goes wrong. Following strong backup security best practices helps protect recovery systems from ransomware, accidental deletion, hardware failure, compromised credentials, and other threats that can make a backup unusable when it matters most.
At All In Technology, we look at backup security as part of the larger IT environment. It has to account for ransomware, accidental deletion, hardware failure, cloud outages, compromised credentials, and the possibility that an attacker may try to disable or delete the backups themselves.
That is why we do not look at backup as a single product or checkbox. It connects directly to managed IT services and proactive IT support, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, and disaster recovery planning.
The goal is simple: if something breaks, gets deleted, or gets compromised, can your business recover quickly with clean, usable data?
Here are the backup security practices we recommend businesses review in 2026.
1. Keep Backups Separate From Production Systems
One of the biggest risks in a ransomware incident is that an attacker may gain access to both the production environment and the backup system.
If that happens, a company can lose its primary systems and the recovery path at the same time.
We prefer to build separation into the backup strategy from the beginning. Depending on the environment, that can mean offsite backups, isolated storage, immutable backup options, separate credentials, or stronger administrative controls around the backup platform.
The key is to avoid having everything connected in a way that allows one compromised account or system to take down both production and recovery.
This is part of the reason we approach backup planning within a broader IT security and technology strategy, rather than treating it as a standalone storage decision.
2. Use More Than One Backup Location
We generally do not like seeing a business depend on a single backup location.
A stronger setup often combines different layers. Local backups can make certain restores faster, while cloud or offsite backups help protect against events that affect the physical office, local hardware, or onsite infrastructure.
For many clients, this is part of the broader Microsoft and cloud services conversation, especially when data is spread across Microsoft 365, cloud applications, servers, and hybrid environments.
The goal is not to create backup copies just for the sake of having more copies. Each layer should support a specific recovery need.
3. Match Backup Frequency to Business Risk
There is no single backup schedule that works for every business.
We look at how frequently data changes and how much data the organization could realistically afford to lose.
A company processing transactions all day may need a much tighter backup schedule than a business whose critical files change only a few times per day.
The question we usually start with is:
How much data could your business afford to lose if something happened right now?
That helps define the recovery point objective, or RPO.
Some environments may be fine with daily backups. Others may need multiple backups throughout the day. The schedule should be based on business risk, not simply whatever the software default happens to be.
4. Protect Backup Systems With Strong Access Controls
Backups need to be secured like any other critical system.
That means using controls such as:
- Multi-factor authentication
- Strong, unique administrative credentials
- Role-based access
- Limited administrator privileges
- Monitoring for unusual login or deletion activity
- Separate administrative accounts where appropriate
If an attacker gets administrative access to a backup platform, they may try to delete restore points before launching the main attack.
We see backup access control as part of the larger security picture. Protecting credentials, endpoints, cloud systems, and recovery tools all has to work together.
5. Encrypt Backup Data
Backup data should be encrypted while it is being transferred and while it is stored.
That matters because backups can contain some of the most sensitive information in the business, including customer data, financial records, internal documents, and intellectual property.
We also encourage businesses to understand who controls the encryption keys and what would happen if those keys were needed during a recovery event.
Encryption is only useful if the organization can still access what it needs when recovery becomes urgent.
6. Test Restores Regularly
This is one of the most important parts of backup strategy.
A backup job showing as “successful” does not automatically mean the business can recover.
We recommend testing restores on a regular basis. Depending on the environment, that might include:
- Restoring individual files
- Recovering an application or server
- Verifying database or application data
- Testing recovery times
- Confirming that restored systems actually work
- Documenting any issues found during the process
This is where backup turns into actual business continuity.
Within our managed IT services, backup testing and disaster recovery planning are part of the broader effort to keep systems recoverable, not just available.
7. Monitor Backups Instead of Assuming They Work
Backup systems can fail quietly.
Storage fills up. Credentials expire. Backup agents stop running. Network changes break connections. Cloud integrations fail.
Without monitoring, a company may not discover that a backup stopped working until it actually needs to restore something.
That is why we believe backup monitoring should be ongoing.
For businesses working with an MSP, this should be part of the normal service relationship, not something that gets checked only when there is already a problem.
8. Connect Backup Strategy to Disaster Recovery
Backup and disaster recovery are closely related, but they are not the same thing.
A backup answers:
Can we recover the data?
Disaster recovery answers:
How do we restore the systems and operations the business depends on?
A complete recovery plan should define things like:
- What systems need to come back first
- How much downtime is acceptable
- How much data loss is acceptable
- Who is responsible for recovery
- Where systems will run during an outage
- What dependencies could slow the process
- How the recovery plan will be tested
This is why we view business continuity and disaster recovery planning as a broader operational issue, not just a backup-software decision.
A good backup is essential, but the business still needs a plan for what happens next.
9. Protect Microsoft 365 and Cloud Data Too
One of the assumptions we still see is that if data is in Microsoft 365 or another cloud application, it must already be fully protected.
That is not always the case.
Cloud platforms provide strong availability and retention capabilities, but those protections may not match every company’s recovery requirements.
We encourage businesses to ask:
If a user deletes something important, an account is compromised, or ransomware affects cloud data, can we recover the exact version we need?
That question matters more than simply asking whether the data is stored in the cloud.
Our Microsoft 365 and cloud management services include backup, disaster recovery, cloud infrastructure oversight, and security considerations because those systems need the same recovery planning as the rest of the environment.
10. Why Backup Security Best Practices Need Regular Review
Backup plans should not stay static while the business keeps changing.
New applications, cloud migrations, acquisitions, additional locations, compliance requirements, and new security risks can all change what needs to be protected and how quickly it needs to recover.
A backup setup that made sense two years ago may not make sense today.
We recommend reviewing backup and recovery as part of regular IT planning, particularly when the company is budgeting for technology changes. Our guide to managed IT services pricing and IT budgeting goes into this broader planning process in more detail.
Backup Security Is Part of a Larger Resilience Strategy
One thing we try to help clients understand is that backup security does not exist in isolation.
A business can have excellent backups and still experience unnecessary downtime if nobody has planned how servers, applications, Microsoft 365, network infrastructure, authentication, and users will come back online.
The same is true on the cybersecurity side. Strong security controls reduce risk, but no environment is completely immune from outages, attacks, user mistakes, or hardware failures.
Recovery is the other side of that equation.
That is why we bring backup, cybersecurity, cloud management, and disaster recovery into the same conversation when we are helping clients think about long-term IT strategy.
How We Approach Backup and Recovery at All In Technology
When we review backup and recovery for a client, we start with the business.
What systems actually matter? What would happen if those systems were unavailable? How much downtime can the organization tolerate? What data absolutely has to be recoverable?
From there, we look at the technical environment.
That can include infrastructure, Microsoft 365, cloud systems, cybersecurity controls, monitoring, backup platforms, and disaster recovery processes.
Depending on the client’s needs, that may involve layered backup strategies, cloud-based protection, monitored recovery systems, and tools such as Axcient where they make sense.
We do not want clients to simply be able to say, “Yes, we have backups.”
We want them to be able to say, “Yes, we know we can recover.”
Is Your Backup Strategy Ready for a Real Recovery?
Having backups is important. Knowing those backups will work when the business actually needs them is more important.
At All In Technology, we help businesses review backup, cloud, cybersecurity, and disaster recovery environments to identify gaps and build a more resilient recovery strategy.
If you are unsure whether your current setup would hold up during an outage, ransomware incident, hardware failure, or accidental data loss, talk with our team about your IT and recovery strategy.
Backup Security FAQs
How often should a business back up its data?
Backup frequency depends on how often your data changes and how much data your business could realistically afford to lose. Some organizations may be fine with daily backups, while others need multiple backups throughout the day. The right schedule should be based on your recovery objectives and business risk.
Are cloud backups enough for a business?
Cloud backups can be an important part of a backup strategy, but they should not be the only consideration. Businesses also need to think about redundancy, recovery time, access controls, monitoring, and whether critical systems can actually be restored when needed.
What is the difference between backup and disaster recovery?
Backup is primarily about preserving and restoring data. Disaster recovery is the broader process of restoring systems, applications, infrastructure, access, and business operations after an outage, cyberattack, or other disruption.
Can ransomware infect or delete backups?
Yes. If backup systems are accessible through compromised credentials or connected too closely to the production environment, attackers may try to encrypt or delete them. Isolation, strong authentication, limited privileges, monitoring, and immutable backup options can all help reduce that risk.
How often should backup restores be tested?
Restore testing should happen regularly and after major infrastructure, application, or backup-system changes. The right frequency depends on the organization’s risk tolerance, compliance requirements, and recovery goals.
Does Microsoft 365 need a separate backup?
It depends on the organization’s retention and recovery requirements. Microsoft provides built-in protection and recovery capabilities, but businesses should still evaluate whether those controls are enough for scenarios such as accidental deletion, compromised accounts, ransomware, or the need to recover older versions of data.
What should a business backup strategy include?
A strong backup strategy should include secure storage, multiple backup locations, defined recovery objectives, access controls, encryption, monitoring, regular restore testing, and a clear connection to the company’s broader disaster recovery plan.
What is the best way to protect backups from ransomware?
The best approach is to reduce the chance that an attacker can reach both production systems and backup systems at the same time. That can include separate credentials, multi-factor authentication, offsite or cloud backups, immutable storage, restricted administrative access, and regular recovery testing.
