Creating an IT Disaster Recovery Plan

Modern businesses utilize IT systems extensively to perform everyday functions.

Being so reliant on technology means that you will need an efficient disaster recovery plan for when things go wrong. From power interruptions to prolonged outages due to inclement weather or disaster, a business continuity plan with a focus on IT will protect your interests.

Determine the Risk Factors in Your IT Network

The impact of a disaster can be broad in scope. This is often directly correlated to the complexity of your systems and the size of your business.

Consider all the systems that could be at risk in your business:

  • Local machines including on-site desktops and laptops.
  • Servers used for data storage or application access (including backup servers).
  • Communication systems including telephony and Voice Over IP.
  • Software that could lose functionality when networks are down.
  • Your external internet connection through wireless, fiberoptic etc.

Many systems are interconnected. I.e., a locally hosted email server that is down in a disaster would limit access for local machines and remote computers.

Decentralization (cloud solutions or a managed data center) is the simplest way to ensure business continuity and disaster recovery. An event at your local site would not impact your software infrastructure and stored data.

Implement a Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Plan

After understanding the systems at risk, you will need to develop a disaster recovery plan that includes a strategy to bring systems back online or provide alternatives.

An environmentally controlled server room with power-redundancy on-site could allow for short-term functionality and maintenance of data integrity. Decentralizing with the use of cloud storage and cloud software solutions would provide even better disaster recovery options, with no reliance on your local hardware or infrastructure.

Regular backups are essential for disaster recovery. On-site backups are risky. Off-site managed backup solutions are safer with in-built protection for disasters. Regular backups also protect you from accidental loss or attacks through malware or other data threats. Hard copies of invoices, contracts, and other company data should always be backed up securely in digital format. This will allow you to recover all key data even with a total loss of your physical premises.

A Managed IT Service is Key to Disaster Recovery

A vendor managed recovery service will allow you to perform risk assessment and design a disaster recovery plan. You’ll gain the advantage of having access to cutting edge backup solutions, remote access solutions, and decentralized cloud storage and software solutions that keep your business running in virtually any disaster scenario.

An investment in vendor managed IT is an investment in the future of your business.



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