As more mission-critical infrastructure moves online, any IT downtime could be devastating to an organization. From 2019 to 2022, 96% of businesses experienced at least one episode of downtime, with the cost of every hour of downtime exceeding $30,000 for mid-sized and enterprise organizations according to a study by LogicMonitor. Businesses face these costly interruptions due to a variety of threats, from ransomware and malware to natural disasters like tornadoes or hurricanes. Regardless of the reason, business continuity is increasingly important, and more sophisticated backup and disaster recovery (DR) solutions are needed.
For companies looking to minimize risk, reduce downtime, and alleviate monetary burdens of downtime, cloud disaster recovery enters as a solution. Ideal for all types of organizations, cloud DR solutions help simplify recovery and accelerate a return to business as usual.
Cloud disaster recovery is the process of replicating and hosting servers and data in a third-party location away from a traditional on-site center. In the event of a disaster, the third-party vendor kicks in to continue business operations. Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) often offer flexible pricing like a subscription model or a pay-as-you-go option, reducing overhead costs and only charging customers when used during an incident. Once the disaster is over, the cloud disaster recovery services vendor helps restore all functions and access to business as usual.
A strategic cloud disaster recovery plan not only protects the business but also saves significant money. According to IBM, a data breach lasting under 200 days costs 30% less than one that lasts longer than 200 days. A formalized, pre-approved recovery plan improves coordination, reduces the likelihood of human error, and builds team confidence. Here are a few steps in building a cloud disaster recovery plan.
In a disaster, communications must come from a single, pre-approved individual. Consolidate customer and external communication to a single point of contact, and identify the necessary team members to start working through the plan. This might include an executive leader, a crisis communications consultant, internal or external IT assistants, business operations workers, and more.
A disaster plan should address both natural and man-made disasters and estimate the severity of the disaster. Depending on this analysis, certain processes should kick into gear. Assessing risk helps identify vulnerabilities, establish baseline standards, and even provide insight into obtaining or renewing cyber liability insurance.
This should be a written, formal, pre-approved plan that has been circulated and signed off on by all necessary parties. A disaster is not the time to be arguing over processes or plans, so approving and following a pre-written, comprehensive strategy is key. It should also be kept up to date, with detailed current information, and reviewed regularly to include best practices for backups. A good disaster recovery plan doesn’t sit on a shelf collecting dust! Also, circulate the plan among necessary team members so that everyone has a copy on hand.
It pays significantly to have active and recent system and data backups. Many companies utilize a third-party manager to manage and ensure backups are done properly. If done incorrectly, a backup might be dead in the water when you need it most. TPx’s Managed Backup and Data Recovery Services help protect all valuable systems all the time.
Now, it’s time to put the plan to the test. Using one of five methods, walkthrough, simulation, checklist, full interruption, or paralleling test, evaluate and examine the disaster recovery plan. Adjust as needed, and rework any areas.
Disaster recovery plans are essential, but how do businesses even know if or when to activate them? What exactly is a “disaster?”
A disaster is a physical or digital catastrophic event. This could be a significant hardware malfunction or a natural disaster like flooding, a hurricane, or an earthquake. A cyberattack would be a disaster, including phishing, ransomware, or malware attack. Many increasingly sophisticated types of attacks would be a disaster as well, like Interplanetary File System or (IPFS) attacks. Any of these events would set off a chain reaction to implement the disaster recovery plan, and a solid plan should detail the exact steps for each of these scenarios.
Cloud disaster recovery offers significant benefits over traditional on-site backup centers.
Not only are physical backup centers subject to the same natural disaster that affects the main center of operations, but the physical infrastructure is also extremely costly to maintain and update. Businesses need a large, cool physical storage space, internal team members to operate it, and constant upgrades to hardware.
If backups are being stored in traditional on-site facilities, there is no safety net, which creates a dangerous single point of failure. Cloud disaster recovery options are dispersed across multiple locations, ensuring continuity if one site fails.
Cost burdens fall to the cloud provider, not the organization. With traditional centers, businesses bear the cost of maintaining and upgrading all hardware and systems, making it time-consuming and expensive to increase capacity or operations.
Instead of relying on a single IT worker to continuously scan networks for vulnerabilities, detect threats, and execute recovery plans, technology can perform these tasks automatically. With automation built into many cloud providers, steps can be executed seamlessly without any lag.
Cloud migrations typically involve significant cost savings, and disaster recovery is no different. Organizations no longer have to purchase expensive equipment, store it properly, and perform routine maintenance. Also, cloud disaster recovery plans are often more flexible, allowing businesses to pay as they go or as needed.
If a business is ready to proceed with cloud-based disaster recovery solutions, how do they go about sifting through the options? Here are a few things to look for when selecting a solution.
A cloud-based solution won’t be more helpful if employees can’t figure out how to use it. Ensure a platform is simple enough for the least technical person in the company to use.
Cost is a critical component of selecting a solution. And the most expensive option doesn’t mean it’s the best or right for a specific business. Depending on the size of backups and how long they need to be stored, pricing can vary widely. Have a firm understanding of all costs involved, and make sure it fits in the budget. Also, stay aware of usage limits and costs to increase capacity in case that sends a solution outside of the budget.
The DRaaS should be secure and compliant with all regulations. For example, GDPR outlines stringent guidelines on data storage, so double check a cloud solution has the latest data and encryption software.
For businesses ready to invest in cloud disaster recovery, having an expert partner is ideal. This ensures an organization is selecting the right platform, running backups consistently, and constantly maintaining the highest data security. TPx’s Managed Backups consolidate all backups into a fully featured total data protection platform. Data is automatically backed up to a secure offsite location and instantly recoverable.
Working with an expert managed services provider like TPx provides superior support and protection for disaster recovery, plus a more confident peace of mind.
We’re ready to answer any of your questions. Visit our Technical Support page for phone numbers and web portal links.
"*" indicates required fields