Let’s start with the basics – what is disaster recovery (DR)? The simple definition is the ability to respond and recover from anything that has (or will) negatively impact business operations. These things are called disasters, and may look like malware or ransomware attacks, equipment failure, terrorist threats, or even something as simple as a power outage. 

This may sound a lot like business continuity (BC); while these are similar, their scopes differ greatly. BC is a proactive practice designed to minimize overall risk, ensuring a business can deliver products no matter the circumstances. DR is a subset of this; it focuses on IT systems that enable business functionality. Disaster recovery is more reactive than proactive, which is the main difference between the two services. 

Why is this important? Truthfully, you never know what kind of disaster will hit or how you will be affected. If you have a network outage and you are an e-commerce system, you will likely lose business. If you are a manufacturer and a hurricane takes off half of your building, you may lose data that severely disrupts your ability to continue operations. In addition to the monetary cost a business may face, they are also likely to face legal penalties if a disaster recovery plan is not in place. 

There are different types of DR – data center, network, virtualized, cloud, and as a service. The type of business you have will determine which type of disaster recovery you require and the steps you need to take. If you are struggling to draft and implement your disaster recovery plan, give us a call today! We are cybersecurity experts ready to help you protect your business!