Testing your disaster recovery plan is critical for London SMEs. Here’s how to do it, what to test, and how to fix common gaps.
Disaster Recovery Testing: How London SMEs Can Guarantee Business Continuity in 2026
Having a disaster recovery plan is one thing—knowing it works is another. For London SMEs, annual (or even bi-annual) DR testing is now essential, especially as cyber threats and cloud reliance grow.
Amazing Support is a multi-award winning, Microsoft Partner and Cyber Essentials certified provider supporting London, Greater London, and Manchester SMEs. Here’s how we help clients test and improve their DR posture.
1) Why test disaster recovery?
- Uncovers hidden gaps (outdated contacts, missing backups, misconfigured failover)
- Builds staff confidence and readiness
- Helps meet compliance and client audit requirements
2) What to test
- Restore critical systems (servers, cloud apps, Microsoft 365 data)
- Recovery time (RTO) and data loss (RPO) match business needs
- Communication plans—who does what, when, and how
- Offsite and cloud backup restores (not just local)
3) How to run a DR test
- Define test scope and success criteria
- Notify key staff and set expectations (no surprises!)
- Simulate realistic scenarios (cyber attack, server failure, office outage)
- Document results, lessons, and improvement actions
4) Fixing common gaps
- Outdated or missing documentation
- Unclear roles and responsibilities
- Backups that “run” but aren’t restorable
- No regular review of DR plan as the business changes
Quick FAQs
How often should we test DR?
At least annually; more often for regulated or high-risk environments.
What’s the biggest DR mistake?
Assuming backups will work without testing, or not updating the plan as your business grows.
Who should be involved?
IT, leadership, key business process owners.
We can run a
disaster recovery test for your business, document the results, and help you build a practical improvement plan—so you’re ready for anything.
