If your organization partners with an outside provider for data security and restoration, a critical part of the relationship is to have a thorough disaster recovery plan in place. However, it’s also just as important to maintain the overall plan by performing regular checks.
In the event the worst should happen, both the company and their IT provider must be well-rehearsed in the steps necessary to get back to normal operations as quickly as possible. Before signing on with an external provider that promises to create a disaster recovery plan, it’s important to learn about how they plan to maintain the plan as well.
How Often?
A full-scale test of a disaster recovery plan can be expensive and time-consuming. However, at least once a year a full-scale test of the DR plan should be implemented. A partial test of the system should be performed at least quarterly.
Flexible Tools for Disaster Recovery
Providers use disaster recovery monitoring tools in order to perform some of their maintenance checks. These tools should be flexible enough to work with any type of software or hardware. If a provider says they can’t check everything because of a hardware or software limitation, that means they can’t provide full protection.
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It’s not enough to perform checks on applications alone, security providers must use monitoring tools that provide them with a comprehensive check of the entire environment in which applications live. Simply spot-checking components is not thorough enough.
Providing Helpful Solutions for Disaster Recovery
Using the right monitoring tools means using those that have their own built-in knowledge base. The right DR tools will not only alert people to a potential or actual issue, but they will also provide useful solutions in order to resolve the situation as quickly as possible. In the age when every second counts, a security provider must have answers and solutions ready for implementation if a problem is discovered.
Interested in more tips on preparing for natural disasters? Check out 7 Tips for Preparing Your Business IT for a Hurricane
