1. Develop a disaster recovery plan
A disaster recovery plan is a document that outlines how an organization will respond to a major disaster. It should include detailed instructions on how to restore critical systems and data, as well as contact information for key personnel.
2. Assess your risk
Before drafting a disaster recovery plan, it's important to assess your organization's risk of experiencing a disaster. This includes evaluating the potential for natural disasters, such as floods or hurricanes, as well as assessing the risk of a computer system failure or data breach.
3. Identify critical systems and data
Once you've assessed your risk, you need to identify which systems and data are most critical to your organization. This may include systems that support critical operations, such as accounting or customer service, or data that is needed to resume operations quickly, such as customer databases or supplier information.
4. Collect contact information for key personnel
In order to quickly resume operations after a disaster, it's important to have a list of key personnel who can be contacted for assistance. This includes management team members, IT staff, and employees who are responsible for specific areas of the business.
5. Make backups of critical data
It is essential to make regular backups of critical data so that it can be restored in the event of a disaster. Backups should be stored in a secure location away from the primary site.
6. Test your disaster recovery plan
It's important to test your disaster recovery plan regularly to ensure that it will work when needed. This includes testing both the process and the technology components of the plan.
7. Update your disaster recovery plan regularly
As your business changes, so too will your risk profile and the systems and data that are critical to your organization. It is therefore important to update your disaster recovery plan regularly to ensure that it remains relevant.
8. Train all personnel on the disaster recovery plan
All employees should be familiar with the contents of the disaster recovery plan so that they know what steps they need to take in the event of a disaster. This includes training on how to restore critical systems and data using both manual and automated methods.
9. Keep your disaster recovery plan up-to-date
It's important to keep your disaster recovery plan up-to-date so that it reflects current business processes and procedures. This includes ensuring that all contact information is accurate and up-to-date
10. Review your disaster recovery plan regularly
A disaster recovery plan should be reviewed on a regular basis, at least annually. This ensures that it remains relevant and up-to-date.