Disaster recovery strategy guidelines: Preparation and response

Last updated:February 2019

Editor's note

Disaster can strike at any moment, and it comes in a multitude of forms. Maybe your data center is in a hurricane zone or your industry is particularly alluring to cyberattackers. Every disaster recovery strategy is unique, but the priority is the same: Protect your data and get the business up and running ASAP.

Planning and response go hand-in-hand, because as much as your organization may prepare beforehand, it's impossible to predict how everything will turn out. Does your disaster recovery plan evaluate all activities from beginning to end? Ensuring business continuity and facilitating recovery are not simple tasks, but the following resources will guide you through the process.

1Preparing for a disaster

From securing funding to choosing who will lead the recovery effort, a good chunk of your disaster recovery strategy planning should take place before an incident even occurs. The following best practices, staffing advice and compliance considerations will help to ensure a swift recovery.

2Managing a crisis

In an ideal world, all of your preparations and planning would guide you through a disaster smoothly. Unfortunately, that's not always the case. Your disaster recovery strategy needs to include contingency plans for when things go bottom up. Whether your concern is communicating the details of your emergency or holding onto a stellar reputation for continuity, keeping a cool head in times of crisis is the most important goal.

3Detailing your DR response

These free customizable templates will help you detail all aspects of your disaster recovery strategy, from initial risk assessment and business impact analysis to streamlining your organization's response following an incident.

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