Disaster Recovery Planning

Disaster recovery planning is the technological aspect of business continuity planning. This is meant to include the plans and preparations which are necessary to minimize loss and ensure continuity of the critical business functions of an organization in the event of disaster.

Disaster recovery has taken on a new sense of urgency in recent years.  Emerging issues like cyber-warfare, terrorism, hackers, computer viruses, an increased reliance on computers, and the increasing occurrence of emergencies and disasters have all led to increase our focus on preparing for disasters.

Disaster recovery planning is a crucial component of enterprise risk management and business continuity planning. It is essential for ensuring continuity of operations.  Prior to the creation of a disaster recovery plan, it is essential to review the entire business continuity plan and to consider the potential impacts of disasters.  A business impact analysis must be performed so that you can understand the underlying risks.  This comprehensive planning process is the foundation upon which a sound disaster recovery plan should be built.

In today’s interconnected economy, organizations are more vulnerable than ever to the possibility of technical difficulties disrupting business.  Any disaster, from floods and fires to viruses and cyber terrorism, can affect the availability, integrity, and confidentiality of critical business resources and leave an organization virtually dead in the water.  In our wired economy, these business interruptions can quickly lead to losses in the millions.

Disaster Recovery Process

The first step in the disaster recovery process is to perform a business impact analysis that considers all of the the potential impacts from each type of disaster.  Disaster Recovery Plans should consider how to deal with these possible events:

Natural Disasters (Earthquake, Fire, Flood) Terrorist Acts (Weapons of Mass Destruction) Power Disruptions, Power Failure Computer Software or Hardware Failures Computer Disruption due to Hackers & Viruses Processing Shutdowns Labor Strife (Walkouts, Shutdowns)

Having determined the potential events you must next look at the impacts of each event and the magnitude of the resulting disruptions.  This critical activity will determine which scenarios are most likely to occur and what recovery processes are needed.

Contact us to setup a free consultant with regards to your business disaster recovery plan.