Backup / restore testing
In one sentence
Actually recovering data from a backup to prove it works, before an emergency rather than during one.
A restore test means recovering real files or a system from backup and confirming they're usable. Backups fail silently, so an untested backup is treated as no backup by both experts and carriers.
Why it's on your cyber insurance application
Applications increasingly ask 'are backups tested?' A dated restore-test note is your evidence.
How the Readiness Check scores it
The free Check asks the same question a carrier will. Here it is, why it's asked, and the fix if today's honest answer is no. The full application question list has the rest.
Backup & recovery
When did you last successfully test restoring from a backup?
Why carriers ask: Tested, offline-capable backups are the difference between an outage and paying a ransom. Claims data shows a record share of ransomware victims now refuse to pay. Working backups are what make refusal possible.
If the answer is no: Run a restore test this month: restore a folder and one full system, time it, and document the result. That document answers the application question.
The written evidence carriers accept
A “yes” on the application needs a document behind it. In the Readiness Pack, that document is:
Guides that cover this
Cybersecurity 101: the basic precautions insurers actually notice
A plain-English starter guide to the cybersecurity basics that move the needle on a cyber insurance application: MFA, EDR, tested backups, patching, email protection, training, and a written incident response plan — most fixable in an afternoon.
How to write an incident response plan that satisfies your cyber insurance application
Carriers require an incident response plan that is written and tested. Here's the exact structure that satisfies the application question (roles, contacts, isolation steps, carrier notification) plus how to run the one-hour tabletop test that makes it real.
Related terms
Would you pass this question today?
The free Readiness Check scores you across the ten control domains carriers probe, in five minutes, no email required for the score.