Free Checklist Templates for Disaster Recovery

Disaster Recovery

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Backup and Recovery Checklist

Backup Scope and RPO/RTO

Inventory backed-up datastores

Confirm RPO and RTO per tier

Verify backup retention policies

Backup Job Health

Audit last 30 days of backup jobs

File tickets for failed backup jobs

Confirm backup alerting reaches on-call

Verify cross-region replication lag

Encryption and Access Controls

Confirm KMS encryption on all snapshots

Review IAM access to backup vault

Test backup vault immutability

Restore Drill

Spin up an isolated restore environment

Restore the primary database from snapshot

Run data integrity checks on restored DB

Restore S3 customer-upload bucket

Tear down the drill environment

DR Runbook and Roles

Walk through the DR runbook end to end

Confirm Incident Commander coverage

Did the drill meet RTO and RPO targets?

Findings, Sign-Off, and Evidence

Open remediation tickets for RTO/RPO miss

Update the DR runbook with drill learnings

Sign off and capture SOC 2 evidence

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Backup and Restore Checklist

Pre-Backup Preparation

Confirm RPO and RTO targets

Reconcile the protected-systems inventory

Check backup repository capacity

Validate immutability and air-gap configuration

Notify stakeholders of the maintenance window

Backup Execution

Trigger or verify the scheduled backup job

Monitor job progress for errors

Confirm SaaS backup coverage (M365, Google Workspace)

Capture job completion status

Confirm offsite replication completion

Failure Triage

Open a P2 ticket and identify the failed objects

Remediate and rerun the failed job

Restore Verification Drill

Select the restore test scope

Restore into the isolated recovery network

Validate restored data integrity

Tear down the recovery environment

Documentation and Reporting

Update IT Glue or Hudu documentation

File the SOC 2 / HIPAA evidence artifact

Sign off on the cycle

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Business Continuity Checklist

Risk Assessment & Threat Identification

Inventory critical NPI systems and data flows

Score insurance-sector threats in the risk register

Map vendor concentration for core platforms

Verify alignment with the NAIC Model Law risk assessment

Submit the risk register for CISO approval

Business Impact Analysis

Catalog critical functions across underwriting and claims

Set RTO and RPO targets for each critical function

Map regulatory deadlines that drive RTO targets

Interview business owners on upstream dependencies

Publish the BIA report

Emergency Response Plan

Define crisis-management team roles and authorities

Document the 72-hour DOI notification workflow

Establish alternate FNOL intake channels

Run a tabletop exercise with claims and underwriting leads

Document the remediation plan for tabletop gaps

Schedule the annual plan review

IT and Data Recovery

Validate backups of PolicyCenter and ClaimCenter

Test failover for the agency management system

Verify MFA on recovery infrastructure per Part 500.12

Confirm SOC 2 Type II coverage for DR vendors

Request updated SOC 2 reports from vendors

Run a quarterly recovery drill

Communication and Coordination

Maintain the producer, carrier, and reinsurer contact directory

Draft DOI, policyholder, and reinsurer notification templates

Coordinate the call tree across CSRs and adjusters

Brief the reinsurance program manager on plan updates

Capture executive sign-off on the plan

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Business Continuity Plan Checklist

Business Impact Analysis

Refresh the critical systems inventory

Set RTO and RPO per Tier 0 system

Map upstream and downstream dependencies

Identify single points of failure

Backup and Recovery Posture

Verify 3-2-1 with an immutable copy

Open a remediation ticket for immutability gaps

Review backup job success rates over 90 days

Validate offsite replication lag

DR Test Execution

Schedule the isolated restore drill

Restore a Tier 0 system end-to-end

Record the actual recovery time and data loss

File a P1 remediation plan for missed RTO

Incident Response Readiness

Update the on-call rotation in PagerDuty

Refresh the incident commander runbook

Verify the break-glass account works

Run a tabletop exercise with the IR team

Alternate Site and Workforce Continuity

Confirm VPN and ZTNA capacity for full remote

Validate the alternate communication channel

Review vendor and SaaS escalation contacts

Plan Sign-Off and Maintenance

Capture lessons learned from the drill

Schedule the next quarterly restore drill

Director of IT signs off on the BCP

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Data Backup and Recovery Checklist

Backup Strategy and WISP Alignment

Inventory client data and tax software systems

Map retention to IRS Pub 4557 requirements

Set RPO and RTO targets per system

Choose backup methods and storage media

Backup Execution and Verification

Schedule nightly backups of tax and GL platforms

Verify backup integrity with a sample restore

Catalog backups with engagement and period tags

Off-Site Storage and Encryption

Encrypt backups before transfer off-site

Replicate to a geographically separate region

Review the storage provider's SOC 2 Type II report

Disaster Recovery Planning

Document recovery procedures by system

Assign DR roles to partners and IT lead

Run a tabletop exercise with a tax-season scenario

Decide whether a live restore test is required

Recovery Execution

Restore a sample backup to a sandbox

Validate restored data against the source system

Document the recovery timeline and gaps

Post-Recovery Review

Analyze root cause and contributing factors

Determine whether client notification is required

Notify affected clients per state breach laws

Update the WISP and DR plan with findings

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Data Backup and Recovery Checklist

Initial Setup and Planning

Inventory critical PM systems and data

Set RTO and RPO targets per system

Select the backup solution

Backup Execution

Schedule nightly automated backups

Encrypt backups at rest with AES-256

Verify backup integrity with checksums

Remediate the failed backup job

Off-site Storage and Cloud Backup

Replicate backups to a separate region

Enable versioning and object immutability

Test restore from the off-site copy

Recovery Protocols

Document the disaster recovery runbook

Run the quarterly recovery drill

Review drill issues with the team

Monitoring and Maintenance

Review backup failure alerts

Update backup scope for new systems

Audit retention against tenant-file rules

Documentation and Compliance

Update the backup procedure document

Verify FCRA and PII handling controls

Archive backup and recovery activity logs

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Data Backup and Recovery Checklist

Backup Strategy & Scope

Inventory transaction files and CRM data

Set RPO and RTO targets per system

Confirm state retention windows for transaction files

Storage & Offsite Protection

Configure the 3-2-1 backup architecture

Verify offsite replication for trust-account records

Test restore from cold storage

Backup Execution & Monitoring

Automate nightly backup of transaction-management files

Schedule CRM exports from Follow Up Boss or kvCORE

Review backup job results

Open a ticket for the failed backup jobs

Recovery Planning & Testing

Document the recovery runbook for each system

Assign incident-response roles to broker and IT

Run a tabletop recovery drill

Capture lessons learned from the drill

Security & Compliance

Encrypt backups with AES-256 at rest

Verify NPI and trust-account data handling

Review MFA on backup admin accounts

Review & Audit

Audit backup completeness against retention list

Document gaps found during the audit

Update the backup policy

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Data Backup and Recovery Checklist

Scope and Recovery Objectives

Inventory critical production systems

Define RTO and RPO per system

Flag ITAR or EAR-controlled technical data

Confirm regulatory retention requirements

Backup Configuration

Verify the 3-2-1 backup architecture

Validate the ERP database backup schedule

Configure PLM vault and CNC program capture

Confirm AES-256 encryption on backup targets

Apply ITAR access controls to backup copies

Execution and Verification

Run the scheduled full backup window

Review job logs and off-site replication

Attach verification evidence to the runbook

Recovery Drill

Restore the ERP database to sandbox

Restore a sample CNC program to a cell

Measure actual RTO against target

Record the drill outcome

Remediation and Closeout

Open a corrective action for the failed restore

Update the DR runbook with findings

Brief the plant manager and IT lead

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Data Backup Verification Checklist

Backup Coverage and Configuration Review

Reconcile protected assets against the CMDB

Confirm 3-2-1 coverage for critical systems

Validate RPO and RTO targets per tier

Review backup job schedules and retention

Job Health and Encryption

Review last 30 days of backup job results

Open tickets for failing backup jobs

Verify encryption at rest and in transit

Confirm immutability and air-gap controls

Rotate backup service account credentials

Restore Testing

Select random sample for spot-restore

Perform file-level restore to isolated location

Perform VM-level instant recovery test

Record restore times against RTO targets

Run quarterly full DR failover tabletop

Remediation and Escalation

Escalate restore failures to engineering lead

Trigger seed reload from offsite copy

Re-run failed jobs after remediation

Capacity and Documentation

Review repository capacity and growth

Apply retention and legal-hold policies

Update runbooks and asset documentation

File evidence package for SOC 2 or ISO audit

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Database Backup Checklist

Pre-Backup Preparations

Confirm free space on the backup target

Verify the database is in a consistent state

Notify stakeholders of the backup window

Check for conflicting maintenance jobs

Review backup scripts and retention policy

Backup Execution

Initiate the backup job

Monitor throughput and error counters

Confirm transaction logs are captured

Verify files landed at the expected target

Record run timing and outcome

Post-Backup Verification

Run the tool's integrity check on the backup set

Perform a test restore into the isolated lab

Open an incident ticket for the failed restore

Review backup logs for warnings

Update the backup register and DR runbook

Notify stakeholders the backup is verified

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Data Recovery Checklist

Backup Job Verification

Confirm backup scope against the asset inventory

Review last 7 days of backup job logs

Open a ticket for failed or warning jobs

Verify the offsite and immutable copy

Check encryption keys and recovery credentials

Restore Plan and Scope

Select the restore scenario for this drill

Identify the recovery point to restore from

Stand up an isolated recovery network

Confirm dependencies are available in the sandbox

Execute the Restore

Start the restore and capture the start timestamp

Monitor restore progress against the RTO

Record the restore completion time

Post-Restoration Validation

Boot the restored system and verify services start

Run an application-level smoke test

Open a remediation ticket for the failed restore

Verify ACLs and group memberships on restored data

Tear down the sandbox and reclaim resources

Drill Reporting and Sign-Off

Update the runbook with lessons learned

Sign off on the drill report

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Disaster Recovery Checklist

Safety and Scene Preservation

Confirm all personnel are accounted for

Preserve forensic evidence on affected hosts

Classify the disaster type

Damage Assessment

Activate the IR bridge and assign roles

Inventory affected systems against the BIA

Set the declared RTO and RPO targets

Decide whether to invoke insurance and counsel

Containment and Forensics

Isolate compromised hosts at the network layer

Rotate credentials and revoke active sessions

Engage the IR firm for forensic imaging

System Recovery

Validate backup integrity before restore

Stand up infrastructure from IaC

Restore data to recovery infrastructure

Engage alternate procurement for hardware loss

Validate functionality and performance

Stakeholder Communication

Notify executives and incident sponsor

Issue the customer-facing status page update

Send regulatory breach notifications

Postmortem and Lessons Learned

Capture the incident timeline

Hold a blameless postmortem review

File remediation tickets with owners and due dates

Update the DR runbook and BIA

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Disaster Recovery Checklist

Physical Security & Site Hardening

Audit data center and branch access controls

Verify environmental controls and fire suppression

Review surveillance footage retention

Backup and Recovery Operations

Verify daily backups of advisor systems

Confirm offsite replication for 17a-4 records

Run the quarterly restore test

Open the restore-test remediation ticket

Document RTO and RPO per critical system

Network Security Controls

Review firewall and IDS/IPS alert logs

Verify EDR coverage on advisor workstations

Audit privileged access and MFA enforcement

Business Continuity Planning

Refresh the FINRA Rule 4370 BCP

Update the emergency contact tree

Test the alternate-site failover

Collect current vendor BCP attestations

Incident Response

Confirm the IR team roster and on-call rotation

Run the annual BCP tabletop exercise

Document tabletop remediation owners

Review the Reg S-P breach notification playbook

Compliance & Documentation

Update the Form ADV BCP disclosure

Capture the CCO annual BCP attestation

File the board sign-off memo

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Disaster Recovery Plan Checklist

Risk Assessment & Property Profile

Map properties to FEMA flood zones

Score regional hazards by property

Document insurance limits and deductibles

Verify flood insurance is in force

Communication Plan

Refresh the tenant emergency contact roster

Designate the media spokesperson

Configure the mass-notification system

Draft tenant pre-event notice templates

Emergency Response & Evacuation

Post evacuation routes at every property

Assign on-call roles to staff

Schedule the annual evacuation drill

Data Backup & Software Continuity

Verify PMS backup configuration

Export tenant ledgers to off-site storage

Test restore from the latest backup

Remediate the failed restore

Property Hardening & Vendor Pre-Contracts

Inspect roofs, gutters, and storm drains

Pre-position shutters, sandbags, and supplies

Sign priority-service contracts with restoration vendors

Audit vendor COIs against the master list

Chase expired vendor COIs to renewal

Business Continuity & Owner Reporting

Identify alternate work locations

Set up emergency draw access on the operating account

Brief owners on the plan and reserve recommendations

Post-Event Recovery & Plan Review

Walk damaged units with the insurance adjuster

File insurance claims with documentation

Coordinate habitability restoration with tenants

Sign off on the post-event debrief

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Disaster Recovery Plan Checklist

Preparation and Planning

Inventory tier-1 systems with RTO and RPO

Confirm the DR team roster and on-call rotation

Refresh the out-of-band communication tree

Update the business impact analysis

Verify vendor support contracts and escalation SLAs

Backup and Recovery Verification

Verify nightly backup jobs in the backup console

Confirm 3-2-1 with an immutable offsite copy

Run a restore drill into an isolated VLAN

Open a P1 with the backup vendor

Reconcile hardware, software, and license inventory

Emergency Response Readiness

Distribute the emergency response card to staff

Test the out-of-band communication channel

Run a ransomware tabletop exercise

Schedule remediation training for tabletop gaps

Confirm coordination with local emergency services

Business Continuity

Document failover procedures for tier-1 apps

Load-test remote access via VPN and ZTNA

Validate alternate-site readiness and connectivity

Distribute the stakeholder status template

Hold the quarterly DR review with the vCIO

Post-Incident Recovery

Classify the incident severity and document scope

Activate full DR site failover

Prioritize recovery work by RTO tier

Send recovery status updates on the cadence

Capture lessons learned and update the runbook

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Disaster Recovery Plan Checklist

Risk Assessment and Business Impact Analysis

Inventory tier-1 services and their dependencies

Document RTO and RPO targets per service

Score threat scenarios against likelihood and impact

Recovery Strategy and Site Topology

Select the recovery topology per service tier

Designate the DR team and on-call rotation

Verify cross-region IAM, KMS, and secrets replication

Plan Documentation

Write per-service failover runbooks in the wiki

Document the database failover and promotion procedure

Map controls to SOC 2 and HIPAA requirements

Backup and Replication

Configure automated RDS snapshots with PITR

Replicate S3 buckets cross-region with versioning

Back up Terraform state and secrets offsite

Run the quarterly restore drill

File remediation tickets for failed restores

DR Testing and Maintenance

Run a tabletop walkthrough with on-call engineers

Execute a failover drill in the DR region

File drill action items in Jira

Activation Decision

Confirm SEV1 trigger conditions are met

Page the incident commander via PagerDuty

Decide whether to activate the DR plan

Recovery Execution and Post-Incident

Execute the failover runbook in the DR region

Validate data integrity against RPO targets

Hold the blameless post-incident review

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E-commerce Backup and Recovery Checklist

Backup Scope and Cadence

Inventory the critical e-commerce data sources

Select a Shopify-aware backup tool

Configure the daily automated backup

Encrypt backups containing customer PII

Confirm the last 24-hour backup completed

Remediate the failed backup job

Disaster Recovery Planning

Document RTO and RPO per data class

Assign DR roles and on-call responders

Build the customer communications playbook

Configure offsite storage in a separate region

Schedule the quarterly DR plan review

Restore Procedures

Document the Shopify restore runbook

Restore the latest backup into a sandbox store

Verify integrity of restored orders and catalog

Open an incident and escalate to engineering

Smoke-test checkout end-to-end

Run the post-restore review

Data Retention and Archival

Define retention windows per data class

Configure cold-storage archival tier

Validate archive retrieval against a sample

Process pending GDPR and CCPA deletion requests

Lock down archive access with MFA

Testing and Validation

Run the quarterly restore drill

Validate scheduled backups for the past 30 days

Run a BFCM outage tabletop exercise

Record drill outcomes and gaps

File the 30-day remediation plan

Engage a third-party auditor annually

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Server Backup Checklist

Pre-Backup Planning

Inventory protected workloads and RPO/RTO

Confirm 3-2-1 coverage per workload

Verify retention against compliance policy

Review storage capacity and headroom

Backup Job Configuration

Validate backup software version and patches

Configure full, incremental, and synthetic-full jobs

Set repository targets and offsite copy job

Wire alerts to PagerDuty and the PSA

Execution and Monitoring

Run the scheduled backup window

Review job results and capture status

Triage failed jobs and open tickets

Confirm offsite copy replication caught up

Restore Verification

Run a sandboxed test restore

Escalate to backup engineer for failed restore

Verify encryption keys are escrowed

Sign off the cycle and update the runbook

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