Disaster Recovery

Data loss can occur in any number of ways including human error, viruses, hardware failure, software corruption, theft, or a natural disaster. It is extremely important to have a disaster recovery plan documented and tested periodically. A good plan should detail your data assets and document how each asset is backed up and restored. It should also include policies regarding media storage, media rotation, and security, as well as procedures for natural disasters. Disaster recovery planning should be a regular activity for businesses of all sizes. Unfortunately, many small and medium-sized businesses are not adequately prepared to handle a major data loss.

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Some startling statistics:

• 93% of companies that lost their data center for ten days or more, as a result of a disaster, filed for bankruptcy within one year of the disaster.
• 50% of businesses that found themselves without data management for this same time period filed for bankruptcy immediately. 30% of companies report that they still do not have a disaster recovery plan or business continuity program in place, and two in three companies feel that their data backup and DR plans have significant vulnerabilities. Furthermore, only 59% of companies polled test their data backup and storage systems at least once a quarter.
• 30% of all businesses that have a major fire go out of business within a year. 70% fail within five years.

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Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)

• Organizations are often unfamiliar with how to cost effectively match data protection requirements with technology. Assistance with evaluating data loss risks and recommending appropriate protection strategies is a key component of a DRP.
• The outcome of the disaster planning phase should be accurately documented to enable your organization to respond to disasters in a timely and competent manner. Documentation should include an inventory of data assets, backup technologies in use, backup and restore processes for various levels of data loss, and off-site storage and security policies. The DRP will also include recommendations for the technology and processes that need to be implemented to ensure your organization is ready for any disaster.