Do You Have a Computer Disaster Recovery Plan?

Technology is our friend in business or personal life and whether we like it or not, we are becoming more and more reliant on the services it provides and the freedom it represents. What should happen if something were to go wrong with this technology, though? All that information that is stored or accessed could be unavailable at the drop of a hat and if you do not have a contingency available, the very existence of your business could be at risk. A computer disaster recovery plan is a core component.

The role of management is as much a caretaker as anything else and must be able to imagine the risks facing the company. In a complex or distributed organization, a considerable effort should be put into the construction of a computer disaster recovery plan and it should not be viewed as a one time task, but rather as an ongoing project. As the company expands the plan must be updated and it should be viewed as a critical and secured document.

Murphy’s Law tells us that what can go wrong, will go wrong and a list of potential problems that could face a company is quite frightening. Weather-related issues, fires, flooding or destruction, theft, malicious activities, virus infestation or simple failure are all waiting around the corner.

The computer disaster recovery plan should be well structured and have several sections. Firstly, it must outline who is ultimately responsible, followed by backup personnel who should be available if the primary person is not. Any external security consultants or companies and IT experts must be detailed and their contact information reviewed regularly.

It is important to understand the scope of the problem and the computer disaster recovery plan must categorize and detail all the information at risk. List all locations and hierarchies and point to backup copy locations, names and URL addresses of providers. The plan must detail how each element of data can be recovered in the event of loss.

Large and more complex companies will need to prioritize and thus the plan should detail criticality. It will also be important to outline the consequences of delay and the various time frames that should be adhered to if at all possible. Remember that there could be public relations consequences to address as well.

Do not underestimate the consequences of failure or loss. Management should ensure that all staff are familiar with the operation of the plan and a dry run should be practiced to highlight any discrepancies or areas that need to be corrected. Remember that there are a variety of potential scenarios and prevention should be at the top of the list. Good practices can help to virtually eliminate the threat of virus infestation for example and all employees or people who can access critical data should be thoroughly vetted to eliminate the threat of theft or industrial espionage.

As the organization becomes more complex, it is recommended that management seek professional advice to help them determine the operation of their computer disaster recovery plans and also help to provide associated services. Attention to security issues can be an investment in the very existence of the business.

Author Kiev C Brownlee has a great deal of information about your computer disaster recovery plan options. Visit KBCSI for all your IT management issues.

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