| As the business world becomes more dependent | | | | easy process. Record the impact of a lengthy loss |
| on technology, there are number of precautions | | | | to operations and essential business functions. |
| they have to take in order to protect their | | | | Make sure all departments and appropriate |
| operations. When it comes to business computer | | | | personnel understand the plan. |
| systems, preparations have to be implemented in | | | | 4, Acquire Appropriate Technology: Assess what |
| the event an incident occurs that puts data at risk | | | | is required to implement the plan. Purchase |
| of permanent loss due to an unexpected disaster. | | | | recovery hardware and software required to |
| Technological disasters can occur as the result of | | | | support and maintain the disaster plan. Upgrade |
| such situations as flooding, fire, power surge...etc. | | | | any essential systems |
| The following list outlines the basics of setting up | | | | 5. Simulate the Plan: Perform tests on the system |
| a disaster recovery plan: | | | | to see if the recovery plan contains any glitches. |
| 1. Risk Assessment: Determine possible risks to | | | | Repair any problems in the recovery process. |
| your computer system. This can include natural | | | | Test often to maintain integrity of the plan. You |
| disasters, viruses, worms, power outages...etc. | | | | also want to make sure you are up to date on |
| Prioritize the threats and their impact. You should | | | | current threats and are prepared to deal with |
| also consider how long your system can be down | | | | them effectively The plan should be easy to |
| before it starts to negatively affect your | | | | understand, maintain, and run. |
| business. Determine which data and applications | | | | 6. Establish Maintenance Programs: Run |
| are essential to the business. Conduct security | | | | maintenance checks to make sure that you |
| assessments to analyze personal computers, data | | | | maintain support for the plan. If necessary, revise |
| and voice communication application controls, | | | | the plan to accommodate new threats. |
| operating procedures, systems and access control | | | | Creating a disaster recovery plan can be an |
| software security, contingency planning, backup | | | | expensive and time consuming task. Although the |
| procedures, and database security systems. | | | | risk of a major disaster is relatively minimal, the |
| 2. Determine Protection Costs: Once you have | | | | result could be disastrous for the business. With |
| identified the risks, assess how much it will cost | | | | the amount of new viruses and worms making |
| to protect your system so that you can create a | | | | their way through the internet, the threats to |
| budget. Costs can include the disaster recovery | | | | businesses are a constant daily problem. For this |
| equipment, data upgrade software and equipment, | | | | reason, it is well worth the expense of creating a |
| recovery planning software, back up equipment, | | | | disaster recovery plan. |
| emergency support, and other emergency | | | | An essential element of implementing an effective |
| equipment such as emergency generators. | | | | disaster recovery plan is to have the support of a |
| 3. Develop a Recovery Plan: IT staff should | | | | knowledgeable full time staff. Constant testing, |
| create a plan to back up and protect important | | | | updating, and modification will ensure the plan |
| and critical systems. A special team should be | | | | stays intact. Staff should be trained to react |
| assigned to create the plan. Use a specific script | | | | immediately to a sudden disaster and implement |
| that will test, repair, and recover programs and | | | | the plan effectively. You never know when |
| data. The plan should identify weaknesses and | | | | disaster is going to strike. It just makes good |
| how to strengthen them, how to shorten the | | | | business sense to make sure you are prepared. |
| duration of the outage, and make recovery an | | | | |