For businesses of all sizes, the ability to quickly recover from unexpected disruptions is crucial. But while most companies are familiar with the idea of disaster recovery, many are less clear on how it differs from business continuity, and why understanding both is essential to ensuring the survival and resilience of their operations.
In fact, research shows that 43% of small businesses hit by a disaster never reopen, and 29% go out of business permanently within two years. The potential consequences of a disaster, whether it’s a natural event, a cyber attack, or an operational failure, can be devastating. That’s why it’s critical to understand the difference between disaster recovery and business continuity, and how they work together to protect your business.
At Netcentrix, we specialise in both disaster recovery and business continuity solutions, and we’re here to help you navigate these two critical aspects of business resilience. Keep reading to learn more about the distinctions between the two, or contact one of our specialists to explore how we can support your organisation’s strategy.
What is a Disaster Recovery Plan?
A disaster recovery plan (DRP) outlines the steps a business must take to minimise the impact of a disaster and restore critical data and systems quickly.
While disaster recovery can apply to physical events like natural disasters, most businesses today focus on restoring data and systems affected by cyber attacks such as data theft or damage.
A comprehensive disaster recovery plan includes actionable steps for recovery, as well as a business impact analysis to assess potential fallout. Read more about disaster recovery plans for businesses.
How Does Disaster Recovery in Cloud Computing Work?
In the event of a data loss due to a cyber attack, businesses can follow these steps to restore their systems:
- Containment: In-house IT or third-party experts secure the data threat.
- Assessment: Experts assess what data has been lost and how.
- Notification: Notify affected internal and external parties.
- Investigation: Conduct a thorough investigation to understand how the disaster occurred.
- Remediation and Evaluation: Improve security measures to prevent future disasters.
Once these steps are completed, the restoration process is often straightforward. Trusted disaster recovery experts like Netcentrix will have securely backed up data off-site. With cloud-based systems, restoration can take place remotely in a matter of hours, minimising downtime and allowing you to get back to business quickly.
What is Business Continuity?
Business continuity refers to a company’s ability to maintain essential operations during disruptions, such as the ones described above.
A strong business continuity strategy incorporates disaster recovery solutions to keep operations running smoothly, even during setbacks. For example, if an online retailer’s e-commerce site goes down due to a cyber attack, a business continuity strategy would involve quickly restoring the system to full functionality to minimise disruption.
Why is Business Continuity Important?
Effective business continuity is critical because downtime due to disasters can be financially devastating. According to data featured by Forbes, the average cost of downtime per minute for large businesses is around £7,250 ($9,000).
Beyond the financial costs, prolonged downtime can damage a company’s reputation. Customers may lose confidence in a business that experiences prolonged outages or security breaches, and that can lead to long-term consequences.
Disaster Recovery vs Business Continuity: Which is More Important?
This is a common question, but the truth is that both disaster recovery and business continuity are equally important. One cannot function effectively without the other.
Neglecting disaster recovery can severely undermine business continuity during a disaster. To maintain strong business continuity in the face of a disaster, a robust disaster recovery plan is essential. The two work together to provide the best protection for your business.
How To Build a Business Continuity Disaster Recovery (BCDR) Plan
A comprehensive BCDR plan will help businesses protect themselves from both cyber threats and unforeseen events.
If you have an in-house IT expert, they should be able to implement basic security measures to protect against data disasters. However, partnering with a third-party cyber security provider can help enhance your business continuity efforts. Experts can spot vulnerabilities that in-house teams might miss and offer proactive measures to prevent potential disasters.
Working with a third-party specialist like Netcentrix can provide the expertise and tools necessary to create a resilient BCDR plan and ensure your business is well-prepared for any situation.
Discuss Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Solutions with Netcentrix
If you’re looking to improve your disaster recovery and business continuity strategies, Netcentrix can help.
With extensive experience in disaster recovery, business continuity planning, and cyber security, we’re the ideal partner to help you safeguard your business. We’ll work with you to assess your data risks, develop a recovery plan, and ensure you’re prepared for any disruptive event.
To take the next step towards a more secure future, get in touch with a Netcentrix specialist today.
