Disaster recovery planning and management
Planning is the number one tool a business has at its disposal to prevent a crisis. Cyber attacks and natural disasters can be unavoidable and unpredictable. If DR teams plan for the worst, they can avoid being caught off guard. Get helpful disaster recovery advice, templates and tests that will prepare your organization for almost anything.
Top Stories
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Tip
10 Jul 2026
4 AI incidents that harmed resilience efforts
AI can be a helpful tool when users respect its limitations and verify what it claims to be fact. If not, the impact on the organization can be catastrophic. Continue Reading
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Tip
07 Jul 2026
The board-level economics of downtime
Downtime is an organization-wide issue. Leaders who treat resilience as a strategic capability are better positioned to navigate future operational, cyber and market disruptions. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Jan 2018
Don't overlook these business resilience plan essentials
Business resilience planning requires preventive and proactive protections across power supply, systems, cybersecurity and backup procedures. Staff planning is important as well. Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Nov 2017
Data center disaster recovery plan template and guide
Read our guide on data center DR planning, and then download our free template to assess how your data center facility and its infrastructure would perform during a disaster. Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Nov 2017
Free business continuity policy template
A business continuity plan can help organizations of any size prepare for a disaster. Resiliency, recovery and contingency planning are key elements to get systems up and running. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 May 2017
Protection against ransomware takes flight with canary files
As ransomware attackers get smarter, it's important for data protection systems to step up their game. Canary files and infection detection are a good start. Continue Reading
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Answer
02 Mar 2017
How do I design and initiate a call tree procedure?
A call tree can be an important piece of disaster recovery planning. Follow these steps for call tree design and execution to ensure your company is ready for unplanned events. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 May 2016
Risk assessment analysis and BIA data in BC plans
Examine how BIA and RA data are used to formulate business continuity strategies. It's common to bypass these steps, but the data can result in more precise and focused BC plans. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Apr 2015
Use business continuity to boost your corporate governance process
Business continuity planning can round out a corporate governance plan by identifying potential areas of failure and how to survive them. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Jun 2014
Six steps to build an effective enterprise risk management program
Follow these six steps to develop an enterprise risk management program that maps risks and establishes countermeasures. Continue Reading
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Feature
03 Feb 2014
10 mistakes to avoid in your disaster recovery planning process
Don't make your DR planning process harder than it is by trying to do too much or cutting corners. Careful planning is key to a successful recovery. Continue Reading
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Podcast
02 Apr 2012
Building a DR site vs. outsourcing disaster recovery
Paul Kirvan explains some of the pros and cons of using a third-party vendor to provide a backup DR site versus building your own site. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Jan 2012
Removing a bad patch using Microsoft Windows Server Update Service
This tip offers information about how to remove a bad software patch using Microsoft Microsoft Windows Server Update Service. Continue Reading
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Definition
10 Nov 2011
ISO 22301 (International Organization of Standardization standard 22301)
International Organization of Standardization standard 22301 (ISO 22301) is a proposed standard that would call for meeting specific societal security requirements for disaster preparedness and business continuity management systems (BCMS). It is currently in draft form that, if approved, would call for requirements for creating a BCMS, as well as managing and improving that system. Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Aug 2011
Disaster recovery in the cloud explained
Discover whether or not disaster recovery in the cloud is a good choice for your organization, and the pros and cons of different cloud DR approaches. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Mar 2011
Free disaster recovery planning templates
Download our free templates today to help create the best disaster recovery plan for your business. Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Jan 2011
Disaster recovery security: The importance of addressing data security issues in DR plans
Data security issues have a constant presence in the IT industry and should be addressed in DR plans. It's not enough for storage managers to only cover basic security measures. Continue Reading
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Tip
24 Jan 2011
Disaster recovery planning for your help desk: A help desk template
The help desk is a vital part of IT operations, but it's often not included in disaster recovery plans. Download our help desk template for DR planning. Continue Reading
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Answer
06 Dec 2010
Maximum tolerable period of disruption (MTPOD) vs. RTO and RPO
Learn what maximum tolerable period of disruption (MTPOD) means for disaster recovery planners vs. the terms RTO and RPO. Continue Reading
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Answer
02 Jun 2010
What is a business impact analysis questionnaire and what types of questions should be included?
Harvey Betan explains that a BIA questionnaire is used to gather valuable and important data about a company, the industry and other background information in this expert response. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Mar 2010
Due diligence on a disaster recovery plan enables business continuity
Creating an effective disaster recovery plan is essential to business continuity, regardless of ambiguity around IT controls for data protection. Continue Reading
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Answer
02 Nov 2009
What's the difference between a disaster recovery plan and a business continuity plan?
Kevin Beaver describes the difference between disaster recovery and business continuity planning in this ask the expert response. Continue Reading
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News
19 Oct 2009
Disaster recovery site options: Hot, warm and cold sites
Learn about the pros and cons of three disaster recovery site options: hot, warm and cold sites. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Mar 2009
Including employees in your disaster recovery plan
To really ensure business continuity, organizations need to protect and support employees while continuing to manage the business. This tip examines key issues that are affecting employees in business continuity and disaster recovery situations. Continue Reading