Backup Strategy SOP

Backup Strategy SOP
VM snapshots vs file+DB dumps vs offsite incremental. Use the right tool per recovery goal.

— Use VM snapshots for fast full-host rollback before risky changes: quick, but tied to one provider and bulky.
— Use file + database dumps (mysqldump/pg_dump) for granular restore: pull one table or one upload folder without rebuilding the box.
— Use offsite incremental (restic, borg) for ransomware resilience: pull-based, immutable, off the compromised host.
— Never keep the only backup on the same server: an attacker with root deletes it first.
— Verify by restoring: an untested backup is a guess. Restore to a scratch box quarterly.

Run this when you set up any production site.