Disasters inevitably happen. You should ensure resilience with your Information Systems. On the other hand, find out why a disaster recovery plan example is necessary. So you can innovate your plans now with a disaster recovery plan example.
WHAT IS A DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN?
Disaster Recovery Plan is a plan to ensure that your business’ information systems can quickly recover from a disaster. This involves a set of tools, policies, and procedures. Certainly the goal is to minimize the effects it brings to the business operations. In addition, this shall encourage continuity of critical technology infrastructure and systems.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY DISASTER?
- Natural Disasters. This includes inevitable natural calamities such as earthquakes, hurricanes, fires, and floods. Because of this, disrupts in system operations happen.
- Human-induced Disaster: This typically involves human-error, data and security breaches, and personnel sabotage.
WHY IT MATTERS?
Consider a research conducted in 2015. Forty-three (43) percent of companies have never been reopened with a major loss of data. In the same vein, twenty-nine (29) percent have closed within two years.
You can prevent these to happen. Have your disaster recovery plan prepared, for instance.
BASIC DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN EXAMPLE
Below are the basic information you should prepare for your plan. Provide the following information in a document. After that, have a safe and accessible storage for it. Moreover, encourage regular team meetings to practice recoveries.
MAJOR GOALS OF A DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN
- Minimize the discontinuity of basic operations
- Limit the damage and disruption
- To Minimize the economic breakdown of the intermission
- Plan alternative business operations in advance
- To train and prepare personnel with their responsibilities
- To encourage resilience and quick recovery of systems
PERSONNEL
Have data on assigned data processing personnel. Also, you can attach your company organization chart in this section of the plan.
Provide information:
- Names
- Company position
- Home address
- Active phone numbers
Personnel assigned to the database system should remember to regularly update database systems. So if a change of location and contact information should happen, personnel must be informed immediately.
INVENTORY PROFILE
This should include the details of the application profile. Firstly, update the list regularly. Secondly, provide the frequency of how many months it should be audited again.
Provide information:
- manufacturer
- description
- model
- serial number
- cost
- owned or leased
DISASTER RECOVERY PROCEDURES
These three basic Disaster Recovery Procedures should be provided:
- Emergency response- firstly, document the appropriate procedures in case of any natural disaster. The goal is to save lives and limit the damage.
- Backup operations- secondly, document how to ensure essential data processing operations should be done after the disaster
- Recovery actions- thirdly, document a plan to secure quick data restoration and processing following a disaster
Most importantly, provide a checklist of possible actions to be initially taken following the disruption. Moreover, have your Recovery Startup Procedure for use. This shall include who are the persons, companies, and service suppliers to contact after the disaster. Ensure to have their updated contact numbers.
WORK AS A TEAM
In conclusion, encourage regular team meetings. Every member of the DR Team should be trained. Be responsible for their assigned tasks.
Above all, disasters are inevitable. But as a team in your company, you can do better. Thus, a famous quotation proves true: “prevention is better than cure”.
