Any disaster can hit any business at any time. How ready are you? Do you have your disaster recovery plan checklist? What are the things you should not miss? Check this article for a guide!
A Disaster Recovery Plan Checklist Is,
This is different from a Disaster Recovery (DR) Plan. A disaster recovery checklist can serve as your go-to-checker. A checklist serves as a guide. The first point, it prevents you from missing out on something. Second, it ensures the completeness of your plan.
Thus, a disaster recovery plan checklist will help you ensure that your DR plan is good to go!
Elements Of Your Disaster Recovery Plan Checklist
Carry Out A Risk And Business Impact Analysis
Every company has its unique needs. Which means to say, that each has its own DR Recovery Plan needs. First, have an assessment. To have an effective DR plan.
This analysis shall let you know of your company’s weak points. This includes vulnerabilities, threats, and potential dangers. Second, this analysis will also assess the probability of a threat occurring. Also, estimate the possible impact of a disaster to your business.
As a result, you can develop an effective plan. Suitable for your company’s needs.
Calculate DR Objectives
Another part of the plan should be the DR Objectives. This includes the RTO or Recovery Time Objective. Second, is the RPO or Recovery Point Objective.
Know which services and operations are critical. Next, is to set their appropriate ‘recovery objectives’. These objectives must be in line with your RTO and RPO.
Specify The Roles Of Your DR Team
A DR plan should have a DR Team. Each member of the team should be knowledgeable enough about their task. Attach team members and their tasks in the plan.
Tasks should not be vague. Be as specific as possible. This will help prevent confusion when an actual disaster takes place.
Build A Disaster Recovery Site
What if a disaster will make it impossible for you to work in your actual office? Thus, an alternative working site can work.
Equip the site with critical data, applications, staff, hardware, and software. This will ensure continuous business operations. Even after a disaster strikes.
Document Security
An unprepared data loss will damage your business operations. You sure deal with a lot of business data daily. This data runs your business. So you should ensure document security.
Make sure to back up all of this information. And store them in a remote location. Reflect this backup on your DR Plan.
Inventory Of Equipment
Record your computers, software, hardware, any devices used. This may include their model and their manufacturer.
This shall help you restore your business to normal operations. By what equipment are necessary to keep the business going.
Keep Communication Lines Open
Part of your plan should include your method of communication. Internal communication is highly necessary. For example, DR Teams should be able to communicate without intrusion.
Innovate Your Plan Whenever Possible
Changes in need do happen. So test your DR plan regularly. This is one way to know if it is effective. Make and improve the needed changes. Besides, tests of plans will also practice the DR Team with their tasks.