Whether you own your own company with hundreds of data systems or you’re responsible for only two computers and their respective servers, you should make a disaster recovery plan. While it sounds ominous, it ensures that you protect your data from any virus or malfunction and perform regular data backups. Here’s what you need to know about the process.

How to Make a Disaster Recovery Plan

1. Inventory

Create a list of all your assets, such as your hardware, software, and applications. If you know what you have and where they are, it’s much easier to understand what you need to get back and how to find them.

2. Recovery Point Objectives

After you make a list, prioritize it and determine what you need most to keep your business or personal life going. Then, break down your plan into small, detailed steps. Clean up the plan so that everything is clearly defined, and you know exactly who you need to talk to. Provide any contact information required for the disaster process so that you won’t have to scramble if the time comes.

3. Testing

Do a trial run of the plan before disaster strikes. Perform drills about two or three times a year so that you remember what to do and can adapt to any changes in the system. If your business grows throughout the year, scale your recovery plan to fit in all the new assets. Testing may take time away from your workday, but it is well worth ensuring you save all the necessary data.

4. Backups

Backups are the most effective ways to recover your data. Some systems run backups every 15 minutes while you work, not causing you to skip a beat. A lot of businesses prefer to keep their data backups off-site at an external data center to ensure nothing happens to the data if the company’s building is compromised.

5. IT Security

Secure all of your passwords and maintain your firewalls and virus protection software. This means running all of your updates. It takes a few moments but is extremely indicative of keeping all potential internal disasters at bay. For external hardware, ensure your server rooms are climate-controlled, restrict access, and have a backup power supply in case of an emergency.

Trust your data backup recovery plan with the experts at Concord Technology Group. They provide a range of quality IT solutions, including network management, cloud services, and tech support to businesses across Greater Cleveland, OH. Call their headquarters at (440) 210-3200 to discuss your IT needs, or visit them online to explore their services.