Here on the islands, we have our fair share of disaster risks. Tsunamis, earthquakes, typhoons and volcanic eruptions can all interfere with our ability to work. Man-made disasters like chemical spills, virus and malware attacks, and arson can also be highly disruptive. While these hazards aren’t often on our minds, the best way to recover from a disaster is to be prepared in the first place. Nearly half of businesses that suffer major data loss failing to reopen, and another third closing within two years of a major data loss; common sense calls for smart planning. You can handle disaster recovery planning in-house, but often times it is worthwhile to contract experts that develop a comprehensive plan for safeguarding your data and equipment.
Data
The first thing to consider when creating your disaster recovery plan is the amount of time you can afford for your business to be non-functional after a disaster. By creating target response times and identifying what tasks will need to be accomplished in what order, you create a good foundation for disaster recovery. For many businesses, ensuring the safety and viability of their data post-disaster is crucial.
Data can be backed up and stored in numerous ways. You can create back up disks at regular intervals, use SAN technology to replicate your data off-site automatically, or even save copies of vital machines or possibly your entire network on a regular basis using a cloud provider. Maintaining current anti-virus is another important step you should take to safeguard your data.
Hardware
Data is only good if you can access it. In order to ensure that your computers and other technological devices function after a disaster, you should invest in a good back-up generator and surge protectors. This helps to prevent current fluctuations from damaging your equipment. Additionally, make sure that your smoke extinguishers and sprinkler systems are in good working order to protect against fire damage.
Regularly testing your disaster recovery plan is vital to its success. Like the fire-drills everyone remembers from elementary school, running mock ‘disaster’ scenarios from time to time allows you to test each phase in your plan and be certain that it will work.
Disaster recovery planning can be an intimidating task, and Tor Technologies is here to help. If you have any questions about the type of disaster recovery plan and services that are right for your business, let us know.