An all it survival guide
4 top tips for building your I.T disaster recovery plan
If the last few years have shown us anything, it’s that life is extremely unpredictable. Disaster really can strike at any time and comes in many different forms.
Technology is a critical part of the day-to-day operation of so many businesses these days. Servers, routers, switches, software, WI-FI, e-mail, applications – the list of things that can stop working is near endless.
How would your business operate if any of these things stopped functioning? What would be the cost to your business if you suddenly lost all your files or data to a cyberattack or couldn’t operate your business because of a flood?
Unfortunately, many businesses don’t realise the value of disaster recovery planning until it’s too late. Whilst you may not be able to completely disaster poof your business, you can ensure that you’re prepared for the worst!
So, let’s get to it…
WHAT IS A DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN?
A disaster recovery plan is a structured approach to getting your business back up and running in the wake of an I.T disaster. It’s an essential part of the overall continuity plan of your business and applies to all areas of your organisation that use I.T.
Think of disaster recovery as a lifeboat that will ensure your business stays afloat when disaster strikes the mother ship! It consists of a collection of standards, procedures and tools that assist an organisation in implementing recovery processes in response to a disaster to protect business I.T infrastructure and support essential business functions.
We’ve compiled a list of our top disaster recovery tips to help you create the perfect plan for your business, so you can rest easy knowing that you’re successfully protecting your data!
1. Have a plan!
It may seem like this one should go without saying, but you’d be amazed how many businesses neglect to think about their disaster recovery plan until they’re in the middle of a disaster.
Ensuring that your business has a clear and documented I.T. continuity plan is crucial to ensure that your business is prepared for whatever life throws at you, whether it be a ransomware attack or a global pandemic.
2. Continue to update your plan
Once you have a plan in place, it’s vital to ensure that you don’t become complacent! Like most I.T. programs, disaster recovery planning is not set and forget. New problems and features may become apparent as you continue to update your plan to best suit your business. It’s also valuable to be proactive and make sure you’re monitoring to stay ahead of potential I.T. risks and threats.
3. Have offsite options to store your data
We all know the importance of backing up our data, but have you ever considered how you keep those backups protected?
Local backups, which refer to backups stored on-site, are a great option as they are fast and convenient. However, they can also be vulnerable to ransomware and external threats like your building flooding or burning down.
It may be beneficial to consider storing your data offsite, making use of cloud storage is a valuable asset in your disaster recovery plan. By using a private data cloud solution, your business can take advantage of having your files and services hosted in a secure data facility!
Don’t forget any data you have stored in the cloud with that being the only copy – Did you know that the major email vendors (Microsoft & Google) do not back up your data! We highly recommend a separate vendor to back up your email and shared cloud data.
4. Regularly backup your data
If you only back up your data occasionally, you’re going to be in serious trouble if disaster strikes your business. Losing even a week’s worth of data has the potential to have a devastating impact on your business, which is why it is crucial to ensure that you’re regularly backing up your data. By frequently backing up your business data, you’re keeping your losses to a minimum.
To make life easier and ensure you’re as prepared as possible, it would be worth automating your backups, so they’re occurring regularly and frequently – and you don’t have to give them a second thought.
Now that you have a plan of what to do, it’s time to start implementing. It can feel overwhelming to start but we are here to help.
LET ALL I.T HELP YOUR BUSINESS
At ALL IT, we provide an impressive suite of back up options to both onsite and offsite your critical data. We offer data backup solutions in a variety of formats individually tailored to the needs of each client.
If you’re thinking about a disaster recovery plan for your business, fill in your details below. We will contact you within 48 hours to discuss the options available to suit your budget and more importantly your appetite for risk!
