<img src="https://ws.zoominfo.com/pixel/pFPxZZKDHHHoWhcQRqqK" width="1" height="1" style="display: none;">

When Disaster Strikes: The Importance of Creating a Disaster Recovery Plan

December 17, 2019 at 10:41 AM / by Juan Fernandez - VP of Managed IT Services

Nobody likes to think about the worst-case scenario, but not doing so is a recipe for disaster. Like people, businesses may experience sudden and unexpected emergencies or situations that can severely affect their ability to function or even survive. Often, there exists little time to react – but every second counts. Many business owners address this risk by creating a disaster recovery plan.

A disaster recovery plan is a set of formal procedures created ahead of time which anticipate what disasters might befall a business and how to best respond to each. The US Small Business Administration (USSBA) considers the creation of a disaster recovery plan a critical responsibility for business owners. However, Unitrends, our backup and recovery partner, found that for the fifth year in a row, data loss and downtime continue to plague organizations of all sizes. With increased corporate data volumes and advanced hacking methods available to cybercriminals, developing a secure and well-tested backup and recovery plan is now a must. 

Disaster Can Happen to Any Business, Anywhere, at Any Time

Nobody expects disaster to strike. That’s what makes disasters so dangerous and threatening. These sudden, unexpected events can leave employees, businesses, and customers reeling. 

According to a study done by the University of Texas, “94% of companies suffering from a catastrophic data loss do not survive – 43% never reopen and 51% close within two years.”

Knowing how to respond in such instances makes the difference between the survival and failure of a business in the wake of a disaster. That’s why disaster recovery is essential. Having a plan in place:

  • Cuts through chaos and confusion

In the immediate wake of a disaster, the best way forward may not be immediately apparent or possible, especially if people are panicking.

  • Reduces downtime

A disaster recovery plan helps a business get back on its feet and resume normal operations as quickly as possible.

  • Increases the likelihood that resources will be available following a disaster

The USSBA notes that small businesses have an increased chance of sustaining significant losses if they don’t have a disaster recovery plan. They’re less likely to have the resources needed to recover unless they’ve actively prepared for disaster.

  • Decreases the chance that irreplaceable data or assets will be lost

Disaster recovery planning helps businesses develop strategies to protect irreplaceable data or assets.

The Most Common Types of Disasters

There is a wide range of circumstances and factors that might result in a disaster for a business. Among these includes (but aren’t limited to):

  • Cyberattacks or data breaches
  • Weather-related disasters, such as tornadoes or hurricanes
  • Other natural disasters, such as wildfires, earthquakes or floods
  • Structural or mechanical failures
  • Power outages
  • Lawsuits
  • Cash flow or supply interruptions

Creating a Disaster Recovery Plan

Disaster recovery plan steps are always a little different depending on the specifics of each business. However, there are still a few common elements that all good disaster recovery plans consider:

1. Take an Inventory of All Hardware, Software, and Assets

Begin planning for disaster with a full inventory of all hardware, software, and assets that the company needs to function. Each of these will need its own plan to evacuate, cover, replace, or secure each in the event of an emergency. Some examples of items may include:

  • Critical machinery, computers, and hardware
  • Intranet or internal servers
  • Websites
  • Utilities
  • Vehicles
  • Employees – particularly those with specialized skills
  • Customer or patient records
  • Important documents

2. Identify Core Processes

All businesses have core processes that need to run for the company to stay in business. Identify each of these and determine the absolute minimum to run. 

3. Develop a Disaster Response Team with Assigned Responsibilities

During a disaster, it’s crucial to have a dedicated team assigned to handle the response and recovery procedures. Define your team and its roles clearly, identifying which individuals – and backup individuals – should fulfill each role.

4. Draft Emergency Response Policies and Procedures

During an emergency, there will be several key actions to take – including legal requirements a business must fulfill. Document each of these responses in unequivocal terms. Include specific instructions for employee evacuation. Those instructions should include where to go, who to contact, and steps to reduce injury or loss of life. After this, the disaster recovery plan should include steps first to resume core business processes in a modified manner, and then salient steps to return those processes to regular operation.

5. Implement Document Backup and Define Restoration Processes

Include in the disaster recovery plan steps to backup important documents before a disaster. Likewise, specify when, where, and how to restore those backups should the need arise. Consider the use of enterprise content management software.

6. Test and Harden the Plan

Finally, harden the disaster recovery plan with routine testing. Consider role-playing or simulations to see precisely how well procedures function during a disaster. Use this knowledge to refine and improve the disaster recovery plan to make it more useful if or when it is needed.

Prepare for Disaster with Managed IT Services

A disaster recovery plan is a must-have for any business in 2020.  There are many different types of disasters, and it’s impossible to prepare for all of them. However, with proper consideration, a company can avoid losing critical data and assets during the disasters most likely to occur in an area or industry.

Many companies also turn to managed IT services to ensure that they have the backups and support they need before disaster strikes. Companies with significant digital infrastructure should strongly consider enlisting the help of managed IT professionals to weather any storm and thrive in the face of adversity. ImageNet is proud to partner with Unitrends, an innovative leader in backup & recovery technology and methodology, to bring our customers best-in-class backup and recovery applications. 

ImageNet Consulting helps companies prepare for disaster by ensuring their backups and recovery procedures. Contact us now to get started.

Topics: MIT

Written by Juan Fernandez - VP of Managed IT Services

Juan Fernandez’s 26-year career in the IT industry is a testament to his investment in improving business outcomes with technology and developing the IT industry. His entire career is dedicated to improving service delivery by embracing effective and efficient use of technology through a vision of technology, security, and compliance for small business, government, education, healthcare, and financial industries. Mr. Fernandez has created effective business models for delivering IT-based services such as DaaS, SaaS, DRaaS, HaaS, XaaS, and promoting online development opportunities to increase individual self-service capabilities and leading strategic initiatives to effectively transform technology to be simple, flexible, adaptable, and responsive to the customer needs. He has focused his career on educating customers and companies on his Making “IT” Simple approach. Mr. Fernandez was recognized at HP’s Global Partner Event in 2019 as HP DaaS Innovator of the Year, alongside ImageNet’s HP Partner of the Year award for 2019. Juan and the ImageNet team won Continuum’s 2019 “Growth Partner of the Year” and “Hyper Growth Partner” for 201% growth in 12 months. Mr. Fernandez is part of the select group who writes the CompTIA A+, Network +, Security + Tests, and sits on the CompTIA Subject Matter Expert Technical Advisory board and the CompTIA Channel Advisor board. He was elected Vice-Chair in 2020. He was the winner of the 2018 Continuum MSP Shark Tank for best security and services presentation, which set the stage for an all-inclusive Security and Device-as-a-Service model, establishing the framework for channel and MSP models. Juan sits on the Forbes Magazine Technology Council, Konica Minolta Global IT Services Council, Unitrends Partner Advisory board, HP DaaS Advisory Committee for Device-as-a-Service, WatchGuard Advisory Board, serves as a Channel Futures MSP Mentor and works with many other channel companies to develop the future of technology and XaaS models.

Subscribe to Our Blog