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Tested, measured, documented.
A backup is only worth something once it can be restored. According to the BSI module CON.3, you must test regularly whether this works flawlessly and within a reasonable time; for essential and important entities, such tests have been mandatory since October 2026 under the NISG 2026 and the Annex to IR (EU) 2024/2690, including documentation of the results. This template provides a log for that purpose: test type and objective, preconditions, procedure with timestamps, achieved recovery time and data state against RTO and RPO, integrity check, findings with deadlines, sign-off and a test plan for the year. It is based on BSI Standard 200-4, the modules CON.3 and DER.4, and NIST SP 800-34.
Free PDF · Template
Restore Test: Log Template for Backups and Systems
- Topic
- Backup & Emergency
- Format
- PDF, A4
- Length
- 11 pages
- Size
- 139 KB
- Updated
- Oct 25, 2026
- Sources
- 12
- Usage
- Adaptation for your own use permitted; redistribute unchanged
WHO IT IS FOR
Who This
Is for.
Fillable log for file, system and full restores as well as offline copies, with target-versus-actual comparison, findings, sign-off and annual plan.
- IT administrators and IT managers who run backups and want to prove they can be restored
- IT service providers who manage backups for customers and run tests together with them
- Business continuity and information security officers who maintain exercise plans
- Management that approves test results and measures
- Essential and important entities that must document tests under the NISG 2026 (Austrian Network and Information Systems Security Act 2026)
9 SECTIONS
What Is
Inside.
- 01
Testing restores: recommendation and obligation
Why a backup only counts once its restore has been tested, who requires such tests and how to use the template.
- 02
Four test types
From a single file to a full recovery, plus the check of the separated copy.
- 03
Terms: target values and measured values
MTPD, RTO and RPO as targets, RTA and RPA as measured values, according to BSI Standard 200-4 and NIST SP 800-34.
- 04
Test plan for the year
Which test type how often, what the annual plan should contain and a table to fill in.
- 05
Part A: Test concept and preconditions
Before the test: what is tested with which backup, how success is measured and what must be ready.
- 06
Part B: Procedure with timestamps
During the test: every step with time, person and result, from test start T0 to handover T1.
- 07
Part C: Measurement and integrity check
Achieved recovery time and data state against RTO and RPO, then check whether the data is complete and intact.
- 08
Part D: Result, findings and sign-off
Result per tested resource, measures with owner and deadline, signatures up to management.
- 09
Common mistakes
What makes restore tests worthless, with the relevant reference for each.
EXCERPT
Four test types
| Test type | What is tested | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| File | Restore files, folders or data sets from a backup and open them: readable, complete, desired state? | Readability and restoration tests (BSI Standard 200-4, Table 34, ch. 13.9.1); CON.3.A15 |
| System | Restore a server, virtual machine or database server including its configuration to replacement or test hardware and put it into operation; measures the recovery time. | Recovery test (Table 34); recovery to an alternate platform (NIST SP 800-34, 3.5.1); configuration data (Implementing Regulation Annex point 4.2.2(b)) |
| Full recovery | Bring all time-critical systems back up in the defined order, including dependencies, until the business unit can work. | Plan and practice a black start, i.e. recovery of all servers and systems (BSI ransomware catalog of measures, ch. 2); full restoration for high-impact systems (NIST, 3.5.4); sequence (CON.3.A4) |
| Offline or immutable copy | Is the copy truly separated or locked against deletion and overwriting? Then restore from exactly this copy. | Check the separation (ransomware catalog of measures, ch. 2); protection against overwriting (CON.3.A14); not in the same network (Implementing Regulation point 4.2.2(c)) |
It is often sufficient to test the time-critical parts in incremental stages (BSI Standard 200-4, ch. 13.9); deputies should practice too (ch. 13.2). Check for the offline copy: a (domain) administrator tries to access the separated copies; this should fail (ransomware catalog of measures, ch. 2). TOMORIS recommendation: test deletion locks only on a test backup created specifically for this purpose. Under point 4.2.6 of the Implementing Regulation Annex, NIS2 entities also test redundancies, for example failover between redundantly designed systems (BSI Standard 200-4, Table 34); you can use Parts B to D accordingly for this.
SOURCES
Supported
by Sources.
- BSI IT-Grundschutz-Kompendium, module CON.3 Backup Concept, Edition 2023 (opens in a new tab)Threats 2.2, 2.4, 2.8; A4, A6, A9, A13, A14, A15
- BSI IT-Grundschutz-Kompendium, module DER.4 Business Continuity Management, Edition 2023 (opens in a new tab)Requirements DER.4.A1, A10, A14 and A16
- BSI Standard 200-4 Business Continuity Management, version 1.0 (2023) (opens in a new tab)Ch. 2, 5.5.1, 7 to 8.2, 13 to 13.10; Tables 28, 29, 34, 36, 37, 40
- BSI: Grundschutz++, milestone plan (opens in a new tab)As of October 2026, accessed October 25, 2026
- BSI: Grundschutz++ user catalog (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)NOT.4.16.1; as of October 22, 2026, pilot phase
- BSI: Ransomware catalog of measures, version 1.0 of February 23, 2022 (opens in a new tab)Ch. 2 Backups
- NIST SP 800-34 Rev. 1: Contingency Planning Guide for Federal Information Systems (opens in a new tab)Sections 3.1, 3.2.1, 3.5, 3.5.1, 3.5.4 and 4.4
- Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2690 (opens in a new tab)Art. 1; Annex points 4.1.4, 4.2.2, 4.2.3 and 4.2.6
- ENISA: Technical Implementation Guidance, version 1.0 (June 2025) (opens in a new tab)Points 4.1.4, 4.2.3 and 4.2.6, pp. 54, 57 and 59
- NISV 2026, BGBl. II No. 290/2026 (opens in a new tab)§ 2 and § 4, promulgated on October 1, 2026
- NISG 2026, BGBl. I No. 94/2025, RIS, version of October 25, 2026 (opens in a new tab)§ 4 para. 2, § 27 para. 1, § 31 para. 1, § 32 para. 4 lit. c, § 51 para. 2
- Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) (opens in a new tab)Art. 32(1)(c) and (d)
Adapt this template to your company: test types, target values, frequencies and responsibilities depend on your business processes and systems. The structure and the marked recommendations are from TOMORIS. The template provides an overview and does not replace legal advice; the text of the law in its current version is decisive.
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