National Preparedness Month is a time that encourages us to plan for emergencies. For business leaders like you, it’s a reminder to shift from worrying about potential IT disasters to actively preparing for them. Fortunately, there's no need for a complete infrastructure overhaul or costly tool investments. Effective preparation often starts with a few strategic, thoughtful actions.
We’ve developed a practical framework to guide you in assessing your IT and using the results to shape your disaster recovery plan (DRP).
Why an IT disaster is also a business disaster
The stakes of an IT disaster are exceptionally high. It’s more than a technical inconvenience; it’s a direct threat to your business’s survival. The causes can range from natural disasters, such as fires and floods, to tech-related incidents, such as ransomware attacks, critical hardware failures, power outages, and even simple human error. Any of these — or a combination of them — can disrupt operations or bring everything to a standstill.
No matter the cause, every minute spent offline means missed opportunities: customers left unserved, employees unable to do their jobs, and revenue lost. Beyond the immediate financial impact, you may also face data loss, compliance violations, reputational damage, and the risk of losing customers to competitors who are better prepared.
The first step to disaster preparation: A 4-step IT checklist
Before preparing for potential IT disasters, you must understand your own IT infrastructure so you can make measured, effective preparations. Use the four-step checklist below to assess your IT systems, understand your needs, and identify any weaknesses:
- Identify your critical systems and data. List the tools and information your business can't operate without — everything from enterprise resource planning and customer relationship management software to financial records and email servers.
- Establish your recovery objectives (RTO & RPO).
- Recovery time objective (RTO): How quickly do you need systems restored to avoid serious impact? Is it 4 hours, 24 hours, or longer?
- Recovery point objective (RPO): How much data can you afford to lose? The answer helps determine how frequently you need to back up your data. Can you withstand losing a day’s worth of data, or only an hour’s worth?
- Audit your existing backup methods. Are your backups current? Have you tested them recently? Are they stored in a secure, off-site location or cloud environment that’s protected from the same risks as your main systems?
- Review your communication plan. If your usual channels (email, phones) go down, how will you coordinate with employees, customers, and vendors?
Putting together an effective DRP
After evaluating your IT systems, the next step is to create a disaster recovery plan that targets the unique risks and weaknesses you've identified. The DRP is a formal document that details the procedures your business will follow to respond to and recover from an IT disruption.
Here are the essential components every DRP should have and how they relate to the results of your assessment:
- Data backup and recovery aligned with your RPO
The more critical your data, the more often you should back it up. If your current backup system is outdated or untested, the DRP must prioritize updating backup schedules, improving data integrity checks, and ensuring secure off-site or cloud backup solutions. - System recovery strategies that meet your RTO
For businesses with a short RTO, the DRP should incorporate technologies such as cloud recovery, virtualization, or failover systems to quickly restore operations. - Clearly defined roles based on current team capabilities
If your assessment revealed a lack of clarity around responsibilities during a crisis, your DRP must establish a defined disaster recovery team. Assign roles for declaring a disaster, coordinating internal efforts, communicating with stakeholders, and managing technical recovery. This ensures that everyone knows what to do when disaster strikes. - Incident response procedures that fill communication gaps
A robust DRP must include a detailed response procedure, including backup communication systems in case of a system outage. If your current plan lacks alternative communication methods or isn’t up to date, the DRP should fill these gaps by introducing mobile apps, contact trees, and clear guidelines on how and when updates are communicated to employees, customers, and vendors. - A centralized contact list and vendor coordination plan
If your assessment showed missing or outdated contact info for critical IT vendors or emergency contacts, then your DRP should include an easily accessible, regularly updated contact directory. This ensures fast collaboration with service providers and support teams during recovery efforts.
National Preparedness Month is more than just a date on the calendar; it’s a reminder that resilience is built long before an IT disaster strikes. By preparing your IT infrastructure and recovery strategies now, you’ll not only protect your business but also set the foundation for long-term success.
If you need assistance preparing your IT for disaster, contact us today at Kortek Solutions. Our team is here to offer expert advice and implement customized business continuity and disaster recovery planning solutions designed specifically for your needs.