IT Wiser

What would happen to your business if you suffered a major data loss tomorrow? Could you cope? Would you survive? The odds of doing so are not great: 93% of businesses that suffer data loss for 10 days or more file for bankruptcy within a year. A well-planned and well-implemented disaster recovery plan (DRP), with Cloud Online Backup at its heart, can improve resilience and minimise downtime.

Here are six tips for disaster recovery planning.

1. Understand the Risks

Data loss can occur for a number of reasons: human error, IT failure, natural disaster, power outage, fire, theft, malware – the list goes on. Without the necessary data recovery precautions in place, you are putting your business at risk and, as we have already explained, the odds of surviving are slim.

2. Devise a Plan

If you do not have any sort of DRP in place, it is critical that you do so immediately. This can be done by starting with the fundamentals and adding to the plan over time. Cloud Online Backup is the cornerstone of any DRP and the best place from which to build. Beyond data backup, define what’s needed to keep your business running (i.e. computer systems, IT infrastructure, email) and establish how quickly your organisation needs to be up and running after a disaster.

3. Always Monitor your DRP

A disaster recovery plan should grow and evolve with your business. As your needs change, a plan should be modified and updated to suit. Ideally, you should have someone within the company whose job it is to monitor implementation.

4. Backup Data Regularly

Data changes by the hour so it is essential that you have the most recent copies backed up off-site. Cloud Online Backup has a feature that enables it to monitor files for changes either live or once every 24-48 hours and will carry out secure updates as required. You should take advantage of this.

5. Test Your Plan

The effectiveness of a DRP can only be assessed with regular testing. Rather than create a plan and sit back until disaster strikes, perform rigorous drills several times a year by simulating real-life emergencies.

6. Keep Anti-Virus Software Updated

Statistics show that 73% of data lost by businesses is caused by a combination of malware, email attacks, and phishing scams. A disaster recovery plan is a last resort, and up-to-date anti-virus software such as Cloud Web Security will go a long way to preventing a crisis from happening.