From cyberattacks to crashing servers to extended power outages, technology has vulnerabilities that can have far-reaching effects. This is especially true for businesses. Organizations that rely on technology not only have to work to mitigate risk for such disruptions, but they also need a plan of action for if and when such interruptions occur. This plan is often called a disaster recovery plan, and it offers step-by-step instructions for protecting and recovering vital systems and data.
Unplanned downtime can significantly impact business operations, not to mention an organization鈥檚 bottom line. A study by Deloitte, one of the world鈥檚 largest accounting firms, revealed that some saw, on average, a full-level downgrade in their credit rating.
Getting ahead of disasters like cyberattacks 鈥 as well as recovering quickly when one occurs 鈥 is the primary goal of a disaster recovery plan. The importance of a disaster recovery plan cannot be understated. With recovery protocols in place, your business can:
Many businesses debate which is more important 鈥 a contingency plan or a disaster recovery plan. The truth is both are necessary for an overall business continuity plan.
Both involve proactive strategies that reduce negative impact of a disaster before, during and after one happens. Both are crucial for businesses that must survive during inclement weather, pandemics and cybersecurity threats. The differences, however, are key.
While similar, business continuity and disaster recovery plans serve different purposes. In short, the goal of a contingency plan is to keep everything running during a disaster. A disaster recovery plan, however, works to get operations back to normal after one occurs.
Contingency plans guide overall operations, while a disaster recovery plan focuses on IT-related issues, like recovering data and restoring critical systems after cyberattacks. In addition, while contingency plans help reduce downtime across the entire company, disaster recovery plans primarily focus on the functionality of IT systems.
Many companies include a disaster recovery plan within their overall contingency plan. The two plans complement each other. A business needs a contingency plan to remain operational when issues arise and a disaster recovery plan to implement the crucial IT elements of that plan.
Any company that uses computers or relies on technology needs a disaster recovery plan. A breakdown in business operations can result in unexpected costs, lost revenue, unhappy customers and a tarnished reputation. The longer it takes to recover, the bigger the impact on operations. With a disaster recovery plan, your business can bounce back more quickly from a crisis, regardless of where, how or when one occurs. Any company focused on prevention that sees the value in getting ahead of disasters needs to develop a disaster recovery plan.
An effective disaster recovery plan depends on your business鈥檚 size, scope and operations. The specific procedures and measures will depend on your business needs and long-term goals but generally should include the following:
All companies can develop 鈥 and benefit from 鈥 a disaster recovery plan. It boils down to a simple cost鈥揵enefit analysis: Recover quickly and gain a competitive edge or recover slowly and lose customers and sales.
Developing an effective disaster recovery plan begins with analyzing security risks, so impact analysis and risk assessment skills are needed to understand and predict potential hazards. Be sure to look beyond IT. Consider infrastructure and geographical risk factors, as well as the critical technology needs of each department.
From there, following the bullet points listed above will provide a good start to a disaster recovery plan tailored to your organization.
There should be responsible primary point of contact who can develop, deploy and manage a disaster recovery plan.
Some companies, especially smaller businesses, hire contractors or consultants to develop and implement disaster recovery plans. Others have an in-house information manager who is in charge during a crisis. Either way, you鈥檒l want skilled professionals who have experience in technology and education in computer information systems to lead your company out of whatever storm occurs and into a safe harbor of restored data and operations.
Whether you鈥檙e seeking to gain a basic understanding of information technology or cybersecurity, or you鈥檙e a working professional looking to expand your skills, 爱污传媒 offers听online course collections, bachelor鈥檚 degrees and master鈥檚 degrees.听These include:
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