Test business backup restoration before earthquake disruption

Test usability, not the existence of a backup

A backup file is not proof that an agency can recover its customer workflow. A useful exercise checks whether authorized people can restore an approved copy, understand its age and produce the business information needed for limited operations. Schedule this work before disruption, not while staff are handling an earthquake's immediate effects.

CISA's StopRansomware Guide recommends protected backups and regular testing of availability and integrity. Those cyber-resilience principles can inform earthquake continuity preparation, but an earthquake does not itself establish a cyber incident. Keep the exercise's purpose and assumptions explicit.

Set boundaries with the technical owner

A qualified administrator should select a controlled test environment and approved restoration procedure. Business staff should define acceptance criteria rather than improvise infrastructure changes. Do not restore test data over live records or trigger real customer messages merely to demonstrate that automation works.

Include access dependencies in the scenario. A restoration exercise is incomplete if only the usual administrator can open the result or if recovery instructions depend on the unavailable production system. Test deputy access through approved controls without sharing passwords or weakening authentication.

Complete an illustrative restoration worksheet

The worksheet below covers a small agency's account-contact dataset. Use representative, appropriately protected test data and record exceptions. A successful technical restore can still fail business acceptance if essential preferences or relationships are missing.

• Dataset: approved account contacts and active appointment records.
• Recovery copy: identifier, creation date and expected missing interval recorded.
• Business checks: account owner, next action and contact preferences remain interpretable.
• Safety controls: isolated test, outbound messaging disabled and authorized access only.
• Result: pass, partial or fail; evidence, owner and corrective action documented.

Convert findings into continuity changes

Record how the exercise actually performed without converting one test into a guaranteed restoration promise. Note missing fields, unclear instructions, inaccessible documentation and decisions that required an unavailable person. Assign each issue to an owner and verify the fix through an appropriate retest.

Ready.gov's continuity resources emphasize organizing and exercising a plan. Connect the restoration test to service priorities: which records support client notices, rescheduling and suppression checks first? During a real earthquake disruption, staff welfare and official instructions take precedence; a backup plan should reduce pressure, not create a reason to retrieve devices or work from an unsuitable location.