Disaster recovery tips
With an increasing number of external and internal cyber threats, it is more important than ever that a company has an effective disaster recovery plan in place. Often an IT system will have an unbalanced emphasis on cyber security. It is true that defence against threats should be as strong as they can be. However, this defence must also be integrated with a disaster recovery plan. That way if a breach does occur the damage caused can be minimised. The specifics of that plan will vary from business to business. But we’d like to share some disaster recovery tips that will apply to each one.
1. Keep it modern
An effective disaster recovery system will require constant monitoring and updates. Making the plan part of day-to-day office life will help it remain current. The nature of IT means that change is constant. Maintenance must be undertaken as often as possible so that the recovery system keeps up with sophisticated cyber threats.
2. Invest in strong technology
A good IT system is only as effective as the hardware and software that is used to implement it. Often, the finance department and IT department of a business are at odds with each other. When it comes to planning for a potential disaster the budget has to come second. Running a cost-effective business is one thing. But when it compromises cyber security it threatens to make the entire company vulnerable. For this reason, the finance department must set aside a significant amount of their budget to spend on modern, reliable and strong technology.
3. The plan needs to be extensive
A disaster recovery plan needs to be applicable to all areas of IT. This includes servers, networks, storage and applications. The plan must also detail what needs to be done before, during and after a disaster. Those who take part in the planning stage need to go through multiple “what if” scenarios. That way they will have all their bases covered when an issue arises. Having multiple team members involved in planning will help make sure no potential issues are overlooked. Potential losses and levels of disruption should also be considered. If a plan is extensive then it reduces the amount of damage caused when things do go wrong.
4. Test it out
Regular testing helps ensure that the recovery plan is up to scratch. Making sure that the system will react to a disaster in a successful and timely manner is important. Failure to do so can make it ineffective when a disaster does occur. An untested plan will often be found to be obsolete when it is too late. Testing is also a perfect opportunity to find any bugs and fix them.
