Protecting Your Business From Data Disasters

Data is everything to a small business – which means if you lose access or control, you’re facing an emergency.

It sounds dramatic, but the research backs it up.

According to several sources, 93% of companies go out of business within one year if they suffer a major data disaster without having first created a combat strategy.

And since 68% of businesses lack a plan for that worst-case scenario, losing data would be a death knell.

Fortunately, your business doesn’t have to be one of them. With the following steps, you can have a rock-solid disaster recovery plan.

Step 1:
Know How A Disaster Recovery Plan Differs From A Business Continuity Plan

The main difference: business continuity plans are proactive, while disaster recovery plans are reactive.

A business continuity plan ensures that, no matter what disaster, your business can continue to operate and provide for customers.

A recovery plan ensures your business can back up and recover critical data should it get lost or held for ransom.

Step 2:
Gather Information And Support

For your plan, start with executive buy-in.

This means everyone, from the CEO to entry-level employees, needs to execute the plan if you suffer a data disaster. When staff members are aware of the high stakes, it allows for cross-functional collaboration – a necessary step to prevent system breaches.

When creating your disaster recovery plan, account for all elements in your applications, data, and tech systems.

Look for any issues involving server security and physical access to your systems. If these are compromised, you’ll be thankful for your plan.

Also, determine the critical processes you need during a worst-case scenario when you have limited capability.

Step 3:
Create Your Strategy

Photo courtesy of John Schnobrich @johnschno

When creating the game plan, you’ll need a good grip on your budget, resources, tools, and partners.

If you’re a small business, consider your recovery timeline.

This is where you start, and it should also give you a customer communication plan as your business returns to full operating capacity.

Step 4:
Test The Plan

To know if you’re fully prepared, you must test the disaster recovery plan.

Familiarize your employees with the practical steps in the event of an emergency. Working through scenarios will help you detect weak areas.

If an actual data disaster befalls your business, your systems and employees will spring into action.

To review, these are the quick actions for a robust disaster recovery plan:

• Get executive buy-in for the plan

• Research and analyze how your business systems could be impacted

• Prioritize the most necessary systems to the functioning of your business

• Test your disaster recovery plan for effectiveness

With these steps, your business can survive any data disaster.

Need Help With Your Plan?

When you’re running day-to-day business details, a disaster recovery plan is a lot to think about.

Is it thorough enough? Do you have the expertise? Is your equipment sufficient?

An unreliable network will hold your business back — that’s why you need a trusted technology partner. Our proactive approach keeps you ahead of security breaches and downtime.

Layer 9 helps business leaders just like you.

For a free consultation, call us at 757-644-3291. Or schedule a call by sending us a message.

Let’s work together and remove your IT barriers.