Can you plan for a disaster?

20 Dec 2020

disaster recovery
Late last year, reports started circulating about people in China becoming infected with pneumonia. Officials said they were monitoring to prevent it being spread and developing into something more severe.
When we were all clinking glasses on New Year’s Eve 2019, none of us really considered that we would be affected.
Then in January 2020, the first death from this novel coronavirus was reported. In late January, the WHO declared a global health emergency. Suddenly lockdown wasn’t just a word – it was a way of life.

Businesses needed to change the way they worked. The workforce needed to be more flexible. And the pressure on IT systems increased exponentially.

Fast forward to now and the catchphrases for 2020 include ‘the new normal’, ‘pivot’ and ‘you’re still muted!’.

The volume and value of business data has increased dramatically and along with this comes the need to implement sophisticated backup and disaster recovery strategies.

But how do you do this? Here are some steps to consider:

Data analysis

You should begin with a comprehensive and accurate assessment of your current environment.

This includes the amount and type of data you’re managing, it’s criticality to business operations and where it’s located.

Risk assessment

This can be a difficult activity, but it is a crucial one. Focus on situations that could impact your business and the likelihood of these situations occurring.

In addition, consider internal situations, including departure of key staff and external ones, including natural disasters.

Be sure to access all available records to ensure your assessment is as accurate as possible.

Design a strategy

Now that you have all the information in front of you, you can design a risk management strategy.

This will include deciding on a specific solution for your data back up and finding a vendor that fits your organisation’s budget and requirements.

Test your solution

Once you’ve found a solution and it’s been configured to your satisfaction, test it. Don’t wait until it’s needed – this would be a bad time to discover it doesn’t work!
Your provider should have an option for you to regularly test your disaster recovery solution before it’s needed.
Keep in mind that AUP IT has extensive experience in finding the perfect solution for organisations just like yours.

Contact us and let us deliver peace of mind.

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