Do You Need to Update Your Disaster Recovery Plan?

Every business needs a disaster recovery plan. But the bigger question is how often and when it needs to be updated.

The common mistake of businesses is they treat a disaster recovery plan as a set-it-then-forget-it requirement. Only when the disaster strikes that they will realize that it should’ve been updated years ago. It’s both a crippling and expensive lesson for a business to learn.

There’s no specific formula on how often and when you should update the plan. This varies from business to business, as well as the type of technology they have. Usually, companies stick to a yearly routine. But to help you out, here are some of the factors that will affect the update schedule.

Change in technology

As you know, technology evolves and you have to keep up if you want to stay secure. For companies that are using specific technologies, it’s ideal for updating your DR when you acquire new technologies. It could be a new software or cybersecurity measures.

Aside from that, you’d have to test the new technology to pinpoint its low points. It will help to add these findings on the DR plan. You can actually assign this to your IT team and managers.

Changed priorities

If your company has shifted priorities and methods of storing, gathering, and handling data, you should update your disaster recovery plan. You should tailor the clauses that govern data breach and cybersecurity threats. You’ll never know when an employee will become the vehicle to hacking your system.

Also, if you have many new faces in the team, it’s best to revisit your disaster recovery plan. You could also add a clause that requires the DR training for new hires.

New hacking tactics

Like technology, hackers continue to refine their tactics to get past the latest cybersecurity measures. Various think-tanks release hacking reports each year, stating the common schemes of hackers and which sectors are mostly affected.

You can use this information to update your DR plan. You’ll never want to discover an outdated disaster recovery plan when a new hacking incident hits your business.

As much as hackers create new techniques, you should also revamp your recovery measures.

Compliance issues

Depending on which industries you’re working, you might be required to add a specific clause on your DR plan. Also, regulatory bodies have made disaster recovery plans popular to almost every business. It will help to keep abreast with the latest updates on cybersecurity and disaster preparedness so you can update your plan accordingly.

Change in IT service provider

If you’re outsourcing your IT services, it’s essential to revisit your disaster recovery plan whenever you change a provider. It will help to include a portion citing the possibility of an attack after switching to a new provider and what your employees could do.

After resolving a disaster

If you happen to face a disaster, it’s recommended to update your DR plan after rebuilding your business. You can add the practical measures and situations that you’ve learned in the aftermath. Your first-hand experience will help strengthen the DR plan for future use.