National disasters aren’t the only things that can cause
widespread outages and damage. In Kenya, millions of homes and business were
without electricity thanks to a monkey.
Your business isn’t safe based on your geographic location
alone. Various threats can destroy data and ruin an organization. That’s why
it’s important for all companies to have a solid IT disaster recovery plan.
In the event of an emergency or disaster, make sure your
systems, personnel, and data are well-protected by following these disaster recovery solution guidelines.
1.
Keep an Inventory of all Hardware and Software
Include in your DR plan a complete inventory of all company hardware
and software based on priority. Next to each name, list the vendor contact
information and phone number for technical support.
2.
Decide What You’re Comfortable with for Downtime
and Loss of Data
After listing your hardware and software, the framework for
your DR plan starts here. If you’re an electrician, you could probably keep
your business going for a while without technology or servers. But if you’re
Amazon, you’re limited to mere seconds of downtime. Knowing where your business
falls on the spectrum will help you decide which disaster recovery solution you
need.
Take your list of company software and applications and rank
them into three tiers.
·
Tier 1 = systems you can’t do business without
and need immediately
·
Tier 2 = applications or systems you need within
8-12 hours, even up to 24 hours
·
Tier 3 = applications you could survive without
for a couple days
Defining your applications and systems helps you prioritize
and improve the speed and success of recovery. Be sure to test your plan at
least twice a year and update your tiers based on the results.
3.
Identify Who Is Responsible and for What
Your DR plan should clearly define roles and
responsibilities including designating a person responsible for declaring a
disaster. Defined roles make disaster recovery tasks easier to manage when all
parties are familiar with their responsibilities. This is even more critical
when working with third party vendors. When everyone is on the same page, the
DR process works as efficiently as possible.
Protocols for an effective DR plan should include who to
contact, how to contact them, and in what order they should be contacted to get
systems up and running. Create a contact list with all DR personnel to include
the details of their position, role, responsibilities, and contact information.
Also, consider putting a succession plan in place with trained back-ups in case
someone is on vacation or leaves the company.
4.
Establish a Communication Strategy
Good communication plans are often overlooked, but
incredibly valuable. If disaster strikes, how will you communicate with
employees? Do they know how to access the systems they need to do their job?
During a disaster, phone or email may be down so alternative methods of
communication should be identified.
A good plan also includes initial communication when a
disaster takes place and ongoing updates to keep everyone informed. Clear
communication is essential in managing IT
disaster recovery with timely updates sent to employees, suppliers, and
vendors. A written communication process can help lead to action and align
organizations, employees, and partners.
To keep your customers up-to-date in the event of an
emergency, publish a statement on your website and social media platforms.
Offer prompt status updates showing you’re aware of the situation and working
to take care of it.
5.
Tell Employees Where to Go in an Emergency
A good DR plan doesn’t just back-up your technology. It
protects your employees and keeps your team operational. In the event your
primary office isn’t available, select an alternate site for employees to work.
Make sure employees know where to go and how to access systems from the new
site. Offer a clear map of the alternative site including where to sit.
Keep in mind any compliance regulations and contract
dedicated workspace where employees and company data remain private. Contract a
large enough space with seats for all employees needed to meet recovery
requirements.
6.
Check if Your Service-Level Agreements Include
Disasters or Emergencies
If you store systems in a data center or outsource
technology, have a binding agreement with the provider which defines the level
of service you’ll receive if a disaster takes place. The agreement may include
the timeframe to get systems back up and running.
7.
Outline How to Manage Sensitive Data
Outline IT disaster recovery technical procedures to make
sure sensitive data is protected. Address how the information is maintained and
accessed when your DR plan is activated.
8.
Test Your DR Plan Often
Backups and systems may fail you, the internet connection may
be too slow, and a key employee may have changed her cell number. The only way
to find out if a plan works is to test it.
Define how your DR environment will be tested including the
methods and frequency. Infrequent testing often leads to DR environments that
don’t work as planned. Create a testing schedule that measures your recovery
time objective (RTO) and recovery point objective (RPO) goals to validate they
can be met. The more comprehensive the testing, the more successful your
company will be at surviving a disaster. If a DR test fails, identify the
issues and fix problems early so you’re ready for any crisis.
Don’t forget to test key DR employees. They should be
well-versed in the plan and their role in completing tasks. Simulated disasters
and drills give your staff the experience and confidence to execute the plan if
an actual disaster occurs.
Avoid being caught off-guard when a disaster strikes. Map
out disaster recovery solutions and put them to the test so your business can
handle any challenge.
