How To Prepare Your Business For An It Disaster

While a major IT problem wouldn’t have mattered a decade or two ago, it can spell total disaster today. So much business is conducted through computers that, should they suffer a major issue, employees will likely have no clue what to do. That is unless the business already has a reliable plan in place for this eventuality.

Here is how to prepare your business for the possibility of an IT disaster.

Protect from Cyber Attack

One form of IT disaster is losing data, where it is stolen, or held for ransom. A cyber-attack like ransomware on a work PC can block access to a workstation. When malware reaches the network level, this can cause major network disruption. Data loss through malicious file deletions or the copying of files representing some of the business’s intellectual property is a major concern. IT service providers can offer a comprehensive cybersecurity plan to provide ongoing protection. These companies are worth working with when there’s no dedicated in-house team that is knowledgeable about security issues. Don’t wait until it’s too late.

Cloud Backups

The cloud can be used to provide backups in real-time. Unlike overnight backups to a tape or an offline storage facility, cloud systems are capable of scanning for file changes which triggers an immediate backup of that file. This process is known as syncing, and it occurs in real-time as employees complete their work. Business cloud storage systems can also keep multiple past versions of the same files. This is beneficial should the latest version have become infected by a virus or malware.

Nightly Backups

To avoid major data loss, it’s also necessary to keep up with nightly backups. These can be restored much faster than general business cloud backups. Nightly backups are designed as complete backups of the entire network. They’re supplemented with occasional, incremental backups too. Kept off-site, whether at a third-party storage location or in the secure cloud supporting large-scale nightly backup procedures, is the safest to allow for recovery after an IT disaster.

Create an IT Recovery Plan

While the business should have a recovery plan for disasters in place, it’s necessary to have an IT recovery plan too. This specifies what’s to be done should various scenarios begin to play out and staff are required to react promptly. The plan needs to include how the network will be managed if the premises must be evacuated for safety or other reasons. Software tools like remote access let workers log into servers through the software on a tablet or laptop from outside the building. VPNs must also already be in place and tested to ensure safe access without compromising security.

Should the IT infrastructure be damaged due to theft, flood, or a hack, a plan must be available for what steps to take to recover from it.

Secondary Office Location

Depending on the need, it might be necessary to have a disaster recovery office setup and ready to go. These types of arrangements allow companies to immediately relocate, redirect phone lines and/or VoIP calls, and possibly access physical server hardware if the primary equipment is inoperable at the original office location. Other arrangements such as virtualization in the cloud are possible to remain operational at a limited level until more permanent new hardware solutions can be put in place.

Companies will often have an IT disaster recovery plan either separate from the main one or included within it. Any such plan must be produced carefully. Also, it must be regularly checked to ensure it’s still able to work in practice should it be needed.