As we become more and more reliant on levels of technology to help us operate our business or personal life, we often ignore at our peril the "what if" scenarios. Our use of this digital technology to help us function and to store all our information carries with it an implied risk -- should something go wrong, you had better be sure that you have a contingency in place. The computer disaster recovery plan is essential and could even be life saving for the business.
Management must be able to see the risks facing a business. The more complex the organization, the more time should be spent on the details of a computer disaster recovery plan. This is not a one-time operation, but must be updated on a regular basis to take into account the growth or diversification on the company. The plan should be viewed as a critical document and protected as such.
Murphy's Law tells us that what can go wrong, will go wrong and a list of potential problems that could face a company is quite frightening. Weather-related issues, fires, flooding or destruction, theft, malicious activities, virus infestation or simple failure are all waiting around the corner.
When a computer disaster recovery plan is first constructed, it should contain several critical sections. At the top of the list should be contact information for primary personnel, together with the information for backup employees should the primary be unavailable. If the company employs external security or IT consultants, their details including after hours, should be contained and all information reviewed monthly.
It is important to understand the scope of the problem and the computer disaster recovery plan must categorize and detail all the information at risk. List all locations and hierarchies and point to backup copy locations, names and URL addresses of providers. The plan must detail how each element of data can be recovered in the event of loss.
In complex or distributed organizations, a recovery plan should initiate a criticality list, showing the order of recovery in the event of a complete failure. Short-term and long-term time frames should be outlined and the consequence of delay according to several different criteria explored.
Do not underestimate the consequences of failure or loss. Management should ensure that all staff are familiar with the operation of the plan and a dry run should be practiced to highlight any discrepancies or areas that need to be corrected. Remember that there are a variety of potential scenarios and prevention should be at the top of the list. Good practices can help to virtually eliminate the threat of virus infestation for example and all employees or people who can access critical data should be thoroughly vetted to eliminate the threat of theft or industrial espionage.
Management should seek out professional advice from organizations who are skilled in computer disaster recovery plans, especially as the business grows and becomes more complex. This kind of attention to security matters can be viewed as a sensible investment in your future.
Management must be able to see the risks facing a business. The more complex the organization, the more time should be spent on the details of a computer disaster recovery plan. This is not a one-time operation, but must be updated on a regular basis to take into account the growth or diversification on the company. The plan should be viewed as a critical document and protected as such.
Murphy's Law tells us that what can go wrong, will go wrong and a list of potential problems that could face a company is quite frightening. Weather-related issues, fires, flooding or destruction, theft, malicious activities, virus infestation or simple failure are all waiting around the corner.
When a computer disaster recovery plan is first constructed, it should contain several critical sections. At the top of the list should be contact information for primary personnel, together with the information for backup employees should the primary be unavailable. If the company employs external security or IT consultants, their details including after hours, should be contained and all information reviewed monthly.
It is important to understand the scope of the problem and the computer disaster recovery plan must categorize and detail all the information at risk. List all locations and hierarchies and point to backup copy locations, names and URL addresses of providers. The plan must detail how each element of data can be recovered in the event of loss.
In complex or distributed organizations, a recovery plan should initiate a criticality list, showing the order of recovery in the event of a complete failure. Short-term and long-term time frames should be outlined and the consequence of delay according to several different criteria explored.
Do not underestimate the consequences of failure or loss. Management should ensure that all staff are familiar with the operation of the plan and a dry run should be practiced to highlight any discrepancies or areas that need to be corrected. Remember that there are a variety of potential scenarios and prevention should be at the top of the list. Good practices can help to virtually eliminate the threat of virus infestation for example and all employees or people who can access critical data should be thoroughly vetted to eliminate the threat of theft or industrial espionage.
Management should seek out professional advice from organizations who are skilled in computer disaster recovery plans, especially as the business grows and becomes more complex. This kind of attention to security matters can be viewed as a sensible investment in your future.
About the Author:
Author Kiev C Brownlee has a great deal of information about your computer disaster recovery plan options. Surf to KBCSI for all your IT management questions.
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