As the use of cloud-based tools and mobile devices increase, so too does the likelihood of a technology-impacting incident. The time is now to engage in disaster recovery planning, along with the policies and tools that come with it. IT managers must make a plan that will help mitigate disasters, but first they will need to get buy-in from the top. Below are three reasons why you need a disaster recovery plan that will justify the financial and energy investments you’re seeking. 

1. Your team needs to be prepared to meet security challenges.

Cybercriminals are targeting individuals, rather than technologies, more frequently. They take advantage of vulnerabilities among users by conning them to click a dangerous link or posing as a known and trusted entity to extract sensitive information. While this presents new risks, many incidents requiring a disaster recovery plan can be prevented. IT managers can provide security awareness training as well as phishing testing to empower team members to avoid incidents in the first place. While training is a wise first step toward preventing disasters, no technology can ever block cyber-risk involving humans 100 percent of the time.

2. Cybersecurity is mandatory in today’s business environment.

The more an organization is tied to its technology to manage operations, the more significant cybersecurity threats become. With remote working environments on the rise, it is even more important to plan for disasters to keep the business running smoothly. Cyber-criminals are aware of this, and they trust that you are motivated to pay them off because you always need access to technology to get work done.

Keep in mind the consequences of a cyber-attack as you create a disaster recovery plan. Ensuring that you have alternate solutions and fast recovery options available is critical in case your core technology solutions are affected. Even the best security solutions carry risk, so you should anticipate the worst scenario and plan for that. 

3. Technology can fail, regardless of how well-planned and maintained it is.

The systems that we engage in are usually very reliable – so much so that it seems like they are infallible. Technology failures do occur, however, if a piece of hardware stops working or a system experiences a sudden, unexpected workload. Assuming the worst and planning for it is also useful in these situations. 

Most businesses use a combination of in-house, Software as a Service (Saas), and Cloud-based applications to operate. Even if some disaster recovery solutions create redundancy, you should consider that you may have to rely on this technology completely if an incident occurs. Consider the alternative workflows you may need to implement to keep business running in the event that your technology fails. 

When a disaster incident occurs, the goal is to minimize expenses and consequences and get operations back to full capabilities as soon as possible. The earliest stage of incident management is when a significant amount of success and failure occurs. Situations can quickly get worse if you are not following a protocol developed to anticipate and manage an incident and avoid the costs the organization will pay.

Your business’s disaster recovery plan will be unique to your needs and situation. Partner with an experienced IT service provider to create a plan that minimizes downtime and protects company assets should an incident occur.