The Scenario
A 25-person SA design agency has been backing up project files to a single external hard drive that lives in the office. After watching a competitor lose six months of work to a fire, the directors want a proper backup strategy. They have heard of "3-2-1" and want it documented.
The Brief
Produce a complete backup strategy document applying the 3-2-1 rule (3 copies, 2 different media, 1 offsite). Cover what gets backed up, the schedule, the retention, the testing cadence, and the cost.
Deliverables
- A scope statement listing what gets backed up (file shares, M365 mailboxes, design assets, accounting data) and what does not (reasoning required for any exclusion)
- A schedule table showing for each data type: backup frequency, retention period, primary location, secondary location, and offsite location
- A cost summary in rands covering the recommended tooling, storage, and licensing for the first three years
- A monthly testing cadence describing how restores are verified and what evidence is captured
Submission Guidance
A backup that has never been restored is not a backup, it is a hope. Document the testing cadence with as much rigour as the backup schedule, and treat unverified backups as untested.
Submit Your Work
Your submission is graded against the rubric on the right. If you pass, you get a public Badge URL you can share on LinkedIn. There is no draft save, so work offline first and paste your finished response here.