Every business, no matter the size, needs to be prepared for possible hazards or unexpected events. We cannot always forecast when disaster will strike, but we can have plans in place to mitigate the impact they have on our business operations. Protecting your business as a whole from disruptions is called business continuity planning. A disaster recovery plan is specifically geared to safeguard your information technology (IT) applications. The two strategies do share some similarities.
What is a Disaster Recovery Plan?
A disaster recovery plan is a predetermined set of steps that a company prepares to prevent or reduce the negative side effects of a threat or hazard. When it comes to your IT services, threats could mean natural disaster, power outages, or malicious software invasions. A data breach or phishing email attack can have significant consequences if it is not handled properly. A disaster recovery plan should fold in smoothly with your overall business continuity plan. These disaster recovery plan elements are all ways to specifically protect your information systems.
- Priority Assessment: You need to examine your systems and the applications that essential to the functions of your business. These are the systems that should take priority when you are planning for the recovery of your business.
- Know Who Is In Charge: One of the most critical things in any disaster or threat is to know who to look to for leadership. Establish who is in charge of what and when their responsibilities take effect. If you are using a service provider or third-party for your disaster recovery solutions, then make sure that everyone knows where their responsibilities lie and ensure that there are no gaps in your preparations.
- Routine Tests: Assess the situation. Make a plan. Test the plan. You or your service provider needs to conduct regular tests of your disaster recovery services. This is the time to practice restoring data and find any bugs in your data backup process. Many service providers will recommend using a cloud-based data center because it offers security, mobility, and reliability.
- Recovery: Part of your contingency planning should include predictions of how long it will take restore services or recover data. Your recovery process is just as critical as your response to the initial threat. Bouncing back effectively can make the difference between the businesses that survive and those that do not.
- Effective Communication: Your team members are more important than even data recovery. The ability to communicate effectively and clearly will make a big difference when you are facing a hazardous situation. This will give your employees, partners, and customers peace of mind about the stability of your business.
Business continuity solutions are essential to preserve the future of your company. Every business recovery plan should include a disaster recovery strategy for your IT services. Taking precautions to defend these operations will serve you well when it is time to bounce back from whatever hazardous situation you may face. TCOR Management has the knowledge and experience to help you start plotting your business continuity and disaster recovery solutions today.
