What is Included in a Disaster Recovery Plan?

June 10, 2022

When most people think of a disaster, their minds go to natural disasters or terror attacks. Earthquakes, tornados, tsunamis, or hurricanes are all very harmful to areas, and the buildings or houses found in them. These natural disasters could damage or destroy a business’s worksite. However, in the world of business, other disasters could bring the same, if not more, destruction to them. Power outages, cyber-attacks, or any other event that disrupts the flow of business should be planned for, and every business should have a Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) set in place to combat them.

What is a Disaster Recovery Plan?

A DRP is a set of guidelines designed to get a business back up and running after some disaster has shut it down. It is more focused than a Business Continuity Plan and does not necessarily cover all aspects of business like their processes, assets, human resources, or business partners.

DRPs should cover all different types of foreseeable disasters or events that can lead to the halting of work. These disruptions can range from power or network outages to evacuations due to fire or threats. These plans should also be organized and filed by the disaster. One size does not fit all when it comes to DRPs. They must also include scripts for anyone within the company to be able to implement if need be.

Why is A Disaster Recovery Plan Important?

Customer Service is what businesses thrive on. They need that word of mouth to get more and more customers. Customers will not have anything good to say if they have to wait long periods for your business to recover after some event. Also, with the threat of cyber-crimes on the rise, getting hacked or data stolen will not please the customers. A quick response to any delay in operations is a must for a successful business.

A few other reasons to incorporate a DRP are to limit the extent of the disruption, minimize the economic impact of the disruption, shift to an alternative method of conduct, ensure that your employees can handle the event with proper training, and rapidly recover and re-open business. Society is a results-driven society. To meet the standards placed upon all of us, you must be able to restore your business within minutes, if not seconds, of a disaster.

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What Should Be Included in a Disaster Recovery Plan?

The main goal of a DRP is to have the company up and running with the shortest delay possible. A few things to keep in mind while trying to develop your very own DRP are as follows:

  • Determine any primary goals that the particular Disaster Recovery Plan is supposed to protect against. This means identifying what this DRP is being designed to combat. These goals can be for your company to recover lost data due to computer failure or power loss, repair or replace equipment damaged due to natural disasters, or complete relocation.
  • Compile a list of all personnel you have in your data processing operations. This will cut the time needed to determine who to contact or gather when a disaster has occurred. Place a copy of the personnel in DRP for reference.
  • Create a list of all the critical applications that must be maintained or recovered first. This is crucial as recovery cannot occur if the essential software or equipment is not operational. Also, list whether a particular application is a fixed asset.
  • Create a list of all the inventory you possess in your office building or worksite. This is a must for any DRP and should be included with all DRPs. Include the manufacturer, serial numbers, quantity, cost, and whether the item is owned or leased.
  • Have a detailed description of your information services and where to find the backups of said services or data. Once again, this will cut the time it takes to gather important information.
  • Identify the DRP procedures for the particular disaster recovery plan. These procedures should include your emergency response procedures to the disaster, your backup operations, and your recovery actions for rapid restoration.
  • Have a mobile site setup plan if a disaster occurs that causes your company to relocate for some time. This should include the mobile setup directions, wiring diagrams, and electrical services diagrams.
  • Create rebuilding procedures that may be needed. This should include assessing what type of damage could result from a particular disaster and having a plan to rebuild, if necessary.
  • Train your essential personnel and conduct tests to ensure that the DRP will be successful for the particular disaster. Your recovery plan must work, so testing is crucial before being used.
  • Makes sure that you update the DRPs anytime plans change or your operations change. These plans cannot be designed and then forgotten. Just as your business changes and grows over time, your plans to recover from disasters must change, too.

Disasters could lead to revenue loss, brand damage, customer dissatisfaction, or even site destruction. A disaster recovery plan is essential if you want to protect your business from all disasters.

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Small Enterprise Technology was founded to provide its clients with a professional, first-class customer experience. Their goal is to be your technology partner, not just another IT helpdesk. Reach out to a customer representative with any further inquiries. To learn more about how Small Enterprise Technology can help your business stay protected from data leakages and loss, call or contact us today to get started!