6 Crucial Reasons Why You Need a Data Disaster Recovery Plan

Businesses run on data and information nowadays and one of the worst things to happen would be the loss of files that happen to be crucial to business operation. In the unfortunate event that this might happen, you would be very grateful that you’ve set up a data disaster recovery plan - a strategic set of protocols that you can follow to prevent data loss and avoid further risk. 

The data disaster recovery plan typically involves having multiple backups, some form of data security, and maybe a way to retrieve files that are corrupt or lost due to faulty hardware. If you’re not yet sold on having such a plan, here are six reasons why you need a data disaster recovery plan and you can read more at https://www.datasitecolo.com/data-centers/atlanta/disaster-recovery-and-preparation/.

Reputation

Reputation is very important to businesses since customer experience is a crucial factor for satisfaction. This will also affect the chances of customers going back to the business. How would a data disaster recovery plan be important regarding this? Well, during an emergency that would render the files inaccessible (e.g., natural disaster, cyber attack, etc.), most businesses would be unable to operate. During this period, businesses cannot cater to customers, prompting them to find products and services elsewhere. A solid data disaster recovery plan will be able to reduce the time a business is not operating, therefore protecting a business’ reputation.

Productivity

Businesses are only productive and able to generate income when they are operational. However, the loss of access to certain files can render a business to a halt. This is where a data disaster recovery plan can greatly benefit a business. Data disaster recovery plans aim to prevent this from happening at all - or at least, minimize the time a business is inoperational. 

Included in the data disaster recovery plan are backups, full copies of the files a business has but stored in a secondary storage media or location. These backups are easy sources for accessing files that may be needed in the event that the same files are inaccessible in their original machines. 

Preparing for the Worst

Despite all the safeguards one can have regarding their computers and files, and even with all the foresight one can have, things can always go south in an instant. Cyber attacks and natural disasters are common factors that leave businesses and their digital files vulnerable and inaccessible. 

Worst case scenario, even backups can fail. At this point, a good data disaster recovery plan can prepare multiple backups (with a backup in a different geographical location), and even then, a good data disaster recovery plan includes the necessary steps to be taken to be able to retrieve lost files. 

Talking about preparing for the worst, a data disaster recovery plan also has some form of data security measures to protect the company and its digital information from malicious cyber attacks.

Expenses

A comprehensive data disaster recovery plan is a good investment to prepare for the future because while it is true that there are specialists who offer services in retrieving lost files, these can be quite costly - especially if done multiple times. Retrieving lost files are already at the end of a data disaster recovery plan because a crucial part of this is having backups. Backups are easy and inexpensive investments to avoid the need to go to a specialist at all. 

Additional steps in the data disaster recovery plan can also save money along the line because businesses that have decided to not have a data disaster recovery plan usually gets it anyway when a problem comes up - in the effort to prevent it from happening again. In this case, having a data disaster recovery plan handy will save money because it’s signing up for the same thing without having to pay someone else to additionally fix the problem.

Permanent Loss

A sufficient data disaster recovery plan covers all the bases and it can also avoid the worst case scenario - permanent data loss. Permanent data loss can be very detrimental to a business as this can have dire consequences, depending on the relevance of the files involved. 

Files regarding clients and finances are especially crucial to maintain and any situation that can lead to permanent loss of these files can lead a business into trouble. Best case scenario, the files that are permanently lost are files that can easily be replaced and remade. However, there are files that are not so easily replaced. These files include client information, transaction information, and even tax and legal documents.

Protection

Having a good business information management system will help you safeguard the confidentiality and integrity of vital business information. Businesses should always be defensive when it comes to their digital information because having vulnerabilities in that area can be significantly problematic for businesses in a lot of ways. For example, a customer might not be as willing to input their credit card information in an online store if they heard that that company is not very secure. 

Additionally, one cannot discount the reality of cyber attacks and espionage between competing companies. To this extent, a data disaster recovery plan can help ensure security because aside from data loss prevention in the form of backups and data retrieval, a good data disaster recovery plan includes some form of data security. 

Data security enlists specialized personnel to create firewalls and safeguards in a company’s network and data stores. Data security can even alert the company in the event of an attempt to penetrate their network defenses. Get to know more about data authentication, protection, and privacy at FortifID.

Conclusion

These are just six reasons why a data disaster recovery plan would be very beneficial to businesses and people. However, there are more reasons for other people. Despite being able to pin down multiple reasons why a data disaster recovery plan is needed, the best reason will always be the one reason why you personally needed it. 

A data disaster recovery plan is an easy way to safeguard and protect important, and maybe confidential, files. An extension of the data disaster recovery plan can be seen to protect the business as well.