Which of the following should be regularly tested according to backup policies?

Regularly testing backup restoration procedures is crucial for ensuring that data can be successfully recovered in the event of a loss. The effectiveness of a backup is not solely determined by whether the backups are created but rather by the assurance that those backups can be restored when needed. This involves verifying that the process of restoring data works smoothly and that the recovered data is complete and functional.

Testing restoration procedures allows organizations to identify any issues in the backup process, such as corrupted backup files or improper configurations that could hinder recovery efforts. This practice is an essential part of an organization's disaster recovery plan and plays a key role in maintaining data integrity and availability.

While backup media encryption, regular backup methods, and data storage locations are important aspects of a comprehensive backup strategy, they do not directly address the ultimate goal of backups, which is to ensure recoverability. Therefore, the emphasis on regularly testing the ability to restore backups is critical in validating the reliability of the entire backup system.