Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) Practice Exam

A full backup is characterized by its comprehensive nature, as it entails the copying of all data from the system to a designated backup medium. This process ensures that everything, including files, databases, and application data, is preserved in a complete state, making it easy to restore the system in the event of data loss or corruption.

The advantages of a full backup include simplifying the restore process, as all data is contained within a single backup set, allowing for quicker recovery times. It is crucial for disaster recovery strategies, as a complete snapshot of the system is available to revert back to a specific point in time.

To contrast, incremental backups and differential backups focus on capturing only data that has changed since the last backup, which can lead to longer restore times due to the need to piece together multiple backup sets. Additionally, backups that only target system settings do not provide a holistic recovery option, as they exclude important user files and application data. Thus, the full backup method is essential for comprehensive data protection and recovery.