Do you have a list of items your disaster recovery plan should include? Instead of being floored by a situation where a natural or man-made disaster wipes out your data, establishing a disaster recovery strategy in advance is key.
While many disaster recovery plans are built around natural disasters, taking center stage for many CIOs is the risk of cyberattacks. Even with all the headlines about the evolving architecture of malware, too many organizations have not updated or tested their disaster recovery plans.
Here are four important questions to ask that can help you develop a new disaster recovery strategy:
1. How will it impact your business?
When you follow through with a business impact analysis, you put each of your major information systems to the test, essentially identifying the potential effects of any type of disaster. System dependencies will also be revealed, which will allow you to make priorities and plan a more actionable disaster recovery strategy. For business impact analysis tips, check with the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
2. What are the biggest threats?
Every threat calls for a different reaction, which is why your disaster recovery plan must identify all the possible interrupters to your business. Not all threats can be anticipated, but since there is now a greater likelihood of cyberattacks, put more time into planning how those attacks will be addressed.
3. How often do you update?
Your plan has to be flexible and should evolve as new threats are detected and new systems brought in. While you’re updating security protocols, be sure to refer back to your disaster recovery plan and make frequent updates to it as well. New solutions are being developed all the time, including Amazon’s AWS Snowball, which allows organizations to transfer massive amounts of data to a dedicated and secure appliance on site.
4. Do you test regularly?
If you don’t test your plan, you won’t have a very good response to an actual disaster or attack. When you test it regularly, the people in your organization will know exactly what to do when a disaster strikes.
At Truth Comm, we know businesses can become overwhelmed by all the telecom options available today. We’re here to help you choose the right solution for your organization. Contact us today to learn more.