IT Disaster Recovery Plan
- 1. WHAT TO INCLUDE IN AN RECOVERY PLAN IT DISASTER www.callone.com INVENTORY EVERYTHING Before diving into details, inventory everything your network needs to function: local hardware, software (both on premises and as-a-service) and cloud-based services. This lets you identify a baseline protection layer. RECOGNIZE RISK Seek out potential weak points in your infrastructure or holes in your network and evaluate the potential for IT compromise. COMMUNICATE COMMON CAUSES Talk to both IT pros and frontline staff to identify common sources of potential disaster. These might include cyber attacks, natural disasters, and human error related to IT service use or accidental compromise. MAKE A CONTACT LIST Create an “in case of emergency” list that contains accurate contact details for key employees, vendors and stakeholders. Update it regularly. ASSIGN RESPONSIBILITIES Decide who on your team is responsible for what. One IT pro might be tasked with determining disaster origins, while another works on migrating backups or restoring key services. You thus limit overlapping, as well as overlooking entire tasks. DEFINE PLAN ACTIVATION What happens when the call comes in? Is 24/7 response expected, and do you need workers present on site, or are you willing to provide remote connection support? DETAIL EXECUTION Beyond roles and responsibilities, it’s worth detailing the ideal sequence of events during a disaster. For example, are hot-site backups the top priority, or do you want IT pros containing the situation on the ground? Things won’t always go according to plan; prioritizing helps ensure you don’t forget key steps. TEST, TEST, TEST Improve disaster response before disaster strikes: Test, test, and then test some more. Run scheduled tests, random tests, and occasionally a fully simulated attack to see what happens. Recovery teams get used to dealing with the unexpected, and testing helps identify network weaknesses. LOOK FOR HELP Sometimes you can’t do it all. To bridge the gap, many companies turn to cloud-based disaster recovery services for data backup and recovery solutions that work independently of local servers. This does not substitute for having an on-site plan, but can increase your chances of meeting recovery time and recovery point objectives.