The Problem
Almost every manufacturer already has backups in place. Almost none have actually tried to restore from them under pressure. "We have backups" is often a belief rather than a verified fact, and the gap between the two usually gets discovered at the worst possible moment: in the middle of a ransomware attack.
Why it Matters Operationally
Backups fail quietly in ways that go unnoticed for months: jobs error out while alerts sit unread, software captures files but misses application-consistent snapshots of the ERP database, retention windows are too short to reach back before an attack started, or backups sit on the same network as production, reachable by the same compromised credentials that encrypt everything else. Attackers specifically target backups before deploying ransomware for exactly this reason, because a company that cannot restore its own data has far more incentive to pay.
The Simple Explanation
A real backup test means restoring actual data, ideally a full server or a critical application, to a separate environment and confirming it comes back complete, functional, and current, while also timing how long the restore actually takes. A restore that technically works but takes eleven days is not much better than no backup at all if the plant needs to be running again in one. Testing needs to happen regularly, since manufacturing environments change constantly and backup jobs can silently break when something unrelated is reconfigured.
Practical Checklist
- Do backups follow the 3-2-1 principle: three copies, two media types, one copy offline or isolated
- Are backups immutable, unable to be altered or deleted even by an administrator account, for a set period
- Has a full restore of a critical system been tested in the last twelve months
- Was the restore timed, and is that time acceptable for the business
- Are OT-adjacent systems included, such as historian servers and PLC program backups
- Is restore testing scheduled quarterly for critical systems, with a full disaster recovery exercise annually
What You Can Do Now
Schedule a real restore test this quarter if one has never been done, starting with the ERP database or another system the business cannot function without. Confirm backups are stored offline or immutable, not simply on a second server within the same network.
When Outside Help Makes Sense
Validating backup architecture and running a genuine restore test without disrupting production takes both backup expertise and careful coordination, and it is easy to get wrong on a first attempt. A security partner who has done this before can design the test safely and interpret what the results actually mean for your recovery time.