The Ultimate Guide To Business IT Disaster Recovery Planning

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All businesses use technology to some degree these days. In fact, there are a plethora of companies that use IT as their firm’s backbone. Without it, they would struggle to be as competitive and efficient as they are today!

The sad truth about many firms is they have no form of IT data disaster recovery in place. That means if something catastrophic happened, they could potentially end up going bust. It’s likely you are reading this blog post today because you don’t want that to happen to you. The following outlines some simple and actionable steps you can take. They will help you to form your own business IT data recovery plan:

Make sure your building’s electrics are in good working order

Did you know that many data disasters often happen because of poor wiring? Some office leaseholders assume that building owners take care of the infrastructure. The reality is many landlords fail to take appropriate action to fix electrical issues.

The first thing you should do is have a thorough inspection of the electrics in your premises. That way, you can be sure the electrical infrastructure is up to scratch. It also pays to use a 24 hour electrician as they can fix problems outside of office hours. And they are also a useful contact to have if you do have any electrical emergencies!

Have a hardware upgrade plan in place

Many companies host some critical data in-house. If you have a server at your premises, you’ll no doubt rely on it to host your important data. You will doubtless have a series of computers that your staff use to access that data.

I recommend having a hardware upgrade plan in place. Why? There are several reasons for being pro-active in this respect.

First of all, components like power supplies and hard drives can fail in as little as three years. Second, it ensures that you’re always running current technology. And, third, an upgrade path is cheaper to maintain than paying for IT data recovery services!

Backup your data off-site

The cloud offers a cheap and efficient way of backing up information. Your firm could create a “private cloud” server online. That way, you have a safe and secure way of shadowing your important data. Your staff can even manage your private cloud servers remotely from your office.

Have a backup power system in place

It makes perfect sense to invest in a UPS or Uninterruptible Power Supply. In a nutshell, they are batteries that can provide backup power to your IT systems. They can give you enough time to shut down your systems. Or you can use them as backup power systems, providing hours of electricity. UPS systems are cost-effective and straightforward to implement.

Document your disaster recovery plan

What happens if a man-made or natural disaster were to occur? And which people in your business do you need to carry out certain tasks? The answers to those questions and more should be in a documented disaster recovery plan. It’s a document that all stakeholders can refer to should the worst happen.

Good luck!