Without a strong IT disaster recovery plan, companies put their operations in jeopardy, risking a loss of data and profits.
Keep reading to find out what’s involved in disaster recovery, why it is critical, and how to create a feasible plan that keeps your company secure.
An IT Disaster Recovery Plan Defined
An IT disaster recovery plan details what a business must do in an emergency to safeguard its:
- Data
- Infrastructure
- Applications
- Accessibility
Disasters can occur day or night at any time from numerous sources. For instance, a physical attack can happen against your employees or infrastructure. Additionally, disasters could result from ransomware, fake identities, and malware. Natural occurrences such as floods, fires, and earthquakes can create disasters.
IT disasters can affect cloud and in-office settings. Therefore, it’s crucial to have a reliable recovery plan regardless of your infrastructure type. Companies must create a disaster recovery plan that aligns directly with their workflow, digital services, and IT environment.
IT Disasters are Dangerous
While most organizations have a disaster recovery plan in place, these plans are usually unsuccessful. The reason is that disaster recovery is typically a second thought for many businesses, particularly if you have a budget and staff shortage. Disaster recovery isn’t a top priority for many organizations. IT departments often have a disaster recovery plan just to be compliant.
With that being said, here are some of the risks companies face due to an IT disaster.
Bad Reputation
Companies are in danger of a bad reputation after a lengthy outage. Individuals expect to have access to online services 24/7.
When clients can’t access online resources, they have bad experiences. They’ll have a negative feeling about your business, your brand, and most likely leave a bad review on social media.
Financial Loss
Infrastructure loss might make websites and applications unavailable. The short or long-term effect for a business is a severe financial loss. For instance, if an online store is inaccessible after a disaster, customers can’t shop and complete orders. It goes without saying that companies can’t afford to lose customers, money, and remain competitive.
Data Loss
While companies can recoup from a financial loss, outages could lead to something ruinous such as permanent data loss.
For instance, an unexpected fire might wipe out a server or workstation holding important data. This could be a long-term setback, either causing a delay or stopping a business from marketing new products or services.
Create an Effective IT Disaster Recovery Plan
There’s no telling when your business will be hit with a disaster. Therefore, your IT disaster recovery plan must include policies and procedures that go into effect before, during, and after a disaster. Instead of waiting until something bad happens and you need to react immediately, go on the offense. Refresh your disaster recovery plan to guarantee it’s able to secure your digital assets and infrastructure.
As the top provider of managed IT services in Denver, we can help your business have an effective disaster recovery plan. Contact us and let’s discuss how our consultants can assist.