# Backup vs. disaster recovery > Backup vs. disaster recovery comes down to scope: a backup is a stored copy of data that can be restored, while disaster recovery is the plan and systems for getting the whole business running again after a major outage. Also called: backup and disaster recovery, BDR, BCDR, difference between backup and disaster recovery. A backup copies files, mailboxes, or whole systems on a schedule and keeps earlier versions. Disaster recovery goes further and answers how the business keeps working if a server, an office, or a cloud account is lost. It defines two targets: the recovery time objective, how long you can be down, and the recovery point objective, how much recent data you can afford to lose. A business can have good backups and still be offline for days if nobody has planned where to restore them or in what order. For a small company the practical questions are simple: which systems must come back first, who does the work, and how long it will take. Answering them before an incident is far easier than working it out during one. A backup that has never been restored is an assumption, so test restores regularly. Keep at least one copy offsite and one that ransomware cannot alter or delete, and do not assume Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace keeps restorable copies of everything for as long as you need. The 3-2-1 rule, three copies on two types of storage with one offsite, is a sound starting point. We set up and test backups and document the recovery steps. ## Where we do this work - [Cloud services](https://techpitsolutions.systems/services/cloud-services) - [Cybersecurity services](https://techpitsolutions.systems/services/cybersecurity) - [Managed IT services](https://techpitsolutions.systems/msp) ## See also - [Essential Eight](https://techpitsolutions.systems/glossary/essential-eight): The Essential Eight is a set of eight baseline cybersecurity strategies published by the Australian Signals Directorate to help organizations protect internet-connected IT networks against common cyber threats. - [Endpoint detection and response (EDR)](https://techpitsolutions.systems/glossary/endpoint-detection-and-response): Endpoint detection and response (EDR) is security software that continuously records activity on laptops, desktops, and servers, detects suspicious behavior, and lets responders investigate and isolate an affected device. - [Service level agreement (SLA)](https://techpitsolutions.systems/glossary/service-level-agreement): A service level agreement (SLA) is the part of a service contract that sets measurable targets, such as response time, resolution time, and uptime, and states what happens if the provider fails to meet them. --- Source: https://techpitsolutions.systems/glossary/backup-vs-disaster-recovery TechPit Solutions ยท Run by AI, backed by real people. A remote team working with businesses in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. Email info.techpit.co@gmail.com, WhatsApp +92 344 3360585. Book a 15-minute call: https://techpitsolutions.systems/contact