What Is a Disaster Recovery Plan and Do I Need One?

In today’s world, IT disasters are inevitable. It doesn’t matter if you run a Fortune 100 business or a small business with a handful of employees. Hacks, leaks, and mistakes happen. No one can fully prevent an attack, but your response could make all the difference.

Despite the increasing frequency and severity of cybersecurity events, a study from the Ponemon Institute shows that 39% of SMEs (small to medium-sized enterprises) don’t have an incident response plan. In other words, they don’t have a way to pick themselves up and dust themselves off after being hit.

What is a disaster recovery plan, and do you need one? Here’s what every business owner needs to know.

What is a Disaster Recovery Plan?

In brief, a disaster recovery plan (DRP) is your organization’s documented and structured approach to resuming work after a cybersecurity incident. It fits snugly into your business continuity plan for use after disasters.

The goal of any DRP is to give you a step-by-step data recovery plan to the point where you can operate at the primary level required to run your business.

Under the umbrella of DRPs, four types are based on their recovery method. The four DRPs include:

The plan you use depends on how and where you store your data.

Ultimately, your DRP is more focused than your general business continuity plan. It addresses operation disruptions concerning your data.

Why Do You Need a Disaster Recovery Plan?

By now, you see the appeal of a DRP, but you may not yet understand why they are so important.

The most expensive part of a cybersecurity attack isn’t fighting off the attack or resecuring your organization. On the contrary, things get expensive when you try to restart.

A data loss leads to business disruptions that can cost you thousands – or even shutter your business. According to Experian, 60% of small businesses close after a data breach. If your systems are down for an extended period or you lose all your data, it may cost far more than you have to get off the ground.

Creating and updating a DRP allows you to avoid becoming another statistic. A good plan will help:

  • Minimize interruptions
  • Train employees for an emergency
  • Restore service quickly
  • Create alternative modes for working
  • Limit the extent of damage

All of these things minimize the impact of the attack and the subsequent disruption on your bottom line.

Are You Ready for a Cyber Attack?

When you hear about cyber attacks, you often hear about the data leaked. While leaks are damaging, data loss could be far more critical to your business. As a result, every business – large and small – needs a disaster recovery plan.

What is a disaster recovery plan? It’s a step-by-step procedure to use in an emergency to minimize data loss and interruptions. Your DRP could be the difference between dusting yourself off and closing your doors for good.

Did you learn something new? For more ways to protect yourself from cyberattacks, visit the Technology archive.


Oscar Rojas
Oscar Rojas

I'm primarily a dad and a husband, then I live. I've been a freelance writer and editor since 2014, specializing in finance, casino, sports, and esports niches. I'm an expert in checking the small print on any T&C site. You can trust me as an expert, especially when it comes to financing and gambling products.

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