Why your business needs a disaster recovery plan

An energy crisis has been at the top of the agenda throughout the winter this year. Although deemed ‘unlikely’ by the National Grid, blackouts and power outages were at one point being discussed as a possibility in response to gas imports being reduced. A revolving schedule of blackouts could still be on the agenda, affecting businesses across the country. It’s the kind of disaster that can impact everything, from corrupting files to causing data loss and damaging equipment – and illustrates why it’s so important for every business to have robust disaster recovery in place.

What does effective disaster recovery look like?

In the context of a potential loss of power, there are a number of key steps that you can take to ensure disaster recovery.

• Migrating to the cloud – One of the biggest risks for any business during a disaster like a power outage is data loss – and this is considerably increased if you are working with on-premise servers. One of the simplest ways to help ensure business continuity in a disaster situation is to migrate to the cloud so that your data is being stored safely with one of the big providers. Those suppliers are investing heavily in power contingency measures. They could also potentially be classified as essential national infrastructure, meaning they would not be affected by any power outages but would continue to receive a consistent supply.
• Regular backups – It is vital for any business to ensure that there is a backup in place for data and documents and that the frequency of these backups will be sufficient to ensure that no vital information is missed.
• Setting up an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) – This will essentially cushion your business against a sudden loss in power at any point. If that happens, then the UPS will ensure that the server recognises that there has been a sudden loss in power and shuts down safely, minimising the potential for damage and data loss.
• Using VoIP and WiFI hotspots – Effective disaster recovery means having options in the face of something like a lack of power. For example, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a technology that uses the internet to make calls rather than a normal phone line and could be very useful in a situation with a lack of power. Many organisations are investing in VoIP for disaster recovery, combined with measures to ensure necessary Wi-Fi access, including portable SIM card routers.
• Practical considerations – Sometimes, the simplest measures can be the most effective for disaster recovery. For example, in the case of power outages, simply ensuring that devices are kept constantly charged will ensure that a sudden loss of power doesn’t mean an immediate loss of access. There are also many practical investments that businesses can make to set up reliable power sources, including solar panels and other off-grid power generators.

Disasters can take many different shapes and forms, but ensuring access to power will always be key to an effective recovery. Disasters can take many different shapes and forms, but ensuring access to power will always be key to an effective recovery. Robust disaster recovery planning allows you to hope for the best but prepare for the worst, ensuring decisions can be made quickly in challenging situations. SADS IT offers the full range of disaster recovery planning, from online backups to local media; we are trained in developing effective disaster recovery and business continuity plans; if you need a disaster recovery plan – contact us now.