The backup that wasn't there

The scenario:

• "Backup successful." The restore failed. There's nothing there.

  
  

• Backup monitoring tells you the job ran. It doesn't tell you the data is recoverable. Corrupted backups, misconfigured retention, excluded folders, encryption key problems - all of these produce green checkmarks while creating worthless recovery points.

  
  

• The worst time to discover your backups don't work is during an incident. Ransomware hits, you reach for the restore, and find months of "successful" backups that restore nothing. The monitoring was working. The backups weren't.

  
  

• Ensure backup integrity by testing restores regularly - not just verifying job completion. Document what's included and excluded from each backup set. Store encryption keys separately and verify you can access them. Monitor backup size trends - sudden drops indicate problems. Include backup validation in your client QBRs.

  
  

• Backup failures are silent until they're catastrophic. The only way to know backups work is to prove it through regular restore testing - a process most MSPs skip until it's too late.