Operational Heartbeat Checklist

Work through this checklist with your IT provider. Mark each item as Yes, Partially or No / Unknown. Use the gaps to guide your next IT review conversation.

Data Protection

• □ Backups monitored for successful completion daily
• □ Failed backup jobs alert an engineer the same day
• □ Backup data verified for completeness, not just scheduled
• □ Restore tested within the last three months
• □ Cloud backups monitored (Microsoft 365, cloud storage)
• □ Backup storage capacity tracked

Infrastructure

• □ Server CPU, memory and disk usage monitored
• □ Server services monitored and alerting on failure
• □ Disk health (SMART data) monitored
• □ RAID array status monitored
• □ Hardware events and firmware alerts monitored
• □ UPS battery health monitored

Network and Connectivity

• □ Internet uptime and packet loss monitored
• □ Firewall health and availability monitored
• □ Firewall firmware current
• □ Wi-Fi access point availability monitored
• □ VPN availability monitored
• □ Network device health monitored

Security and Endpoint

• □ Antivirus / Microsoft Defender active on all devices
• □ Antivirus definitions current
• □ Security alerts reviewed and investigated
• □ BitLocker / device encryption monitored
• □ Patching status monitored for all devices
• □ Security patch backlog reported

Accounts and Access

• □ Account lockouts monitored and investigated
• □ Failed login attempts monitored
• □ Suspicious authentication activity alerted
• □ Microsoft 365 security alerts reviewed
• □ Account compromise indicators monitored

Licences and Renewals

• □ SSL certificates monitored for expiry
• □ Domain name renewals tracked
• □ Microsoft 365 licence usage monitored
• □ Hardware warranty expiry tracked
• □ IT support contract renewals tracked

Storage

• □ Storage volume capacity thresholds monitored
• □ Alert raised before disk fills completely
• □ Capacity growth tracked and reported monthly

Remote and Mobile

• □ Laptops and remote-worker devices monitored
• □ Battery health tracked for remote laptops
• □ Mobile device management in place
• □ Remote device security compliance monitored

Monthly Reporting

Does your IT provider include these in a written monthly report?

• □ Backup success rate and any failures this month
• □ Security alerts raised and resolved
• □ Patching status across all devices
• □ Hardware approaching warranty expiry
• □ Storage capacity usage
• □ Internet uptime measurement
• □ Upcoming licence and certificate renewals
• □ Outstanding risks and recommended actions
• □ Work completed during the month
• □ Overall Operational Heartbeat summary

Questions to Ask Your IT Provider

1. 1What exactly do you monitor and how often?
2. 2Who receives alerts, and how quickly are they investigated?
3. 3Do you verify that backups have completed successfully?
4. 4What happens if a critical alert is raised overnight?
5. 5Can I see last month’s health report?
6. 6Are my remote workers and laptops included in monitoring?
7. 7Do you monitor our Microsoft 365 accounts and licences?
8. 8Do you track SSL certificate and domain name expiry?
9. 9Can you show me the current Operational Heartbeat for my business?

Last checked: 31 July 2026. Review this checklist whenever your IT support arrangement changes.