SHOULD YOU REALLY SPEND TIME THINKING ABOUT DRP?

WHAT’S A DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN?

A disaster recovery plan is a written document that describes how you will protect your business if the worst happens.

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It should include things like how you’ll recover your data, where you’ll work if you can’t access your usual work space, and what you’ll do if the equipment you need to do your work is stolen or damadged in fire in premises.

WHAT SHOULD YOU INCLUDE IN YOUR PLAN?

Here’s what a disaster recovery (DR) plan should refer to:

• Objectives – what’s the plan for?

• Scope – which services and locations/areas does the plan cover?

• Internal contacts – who do you need to inform within your business?

• External contacts – which customers, suppliers, or employees do you need to inform?

• Incident response – which type of events will trigger your DR plan execution?

• DR procedures – what is your plan of action for each type of incident?

• Alternative work location – where will you work if you can’t be in your usual location for a longer duration?

• Insurance policies – what are your policy numbers and which number should you or the staff call?

• DR plan review – how and how often will you check your plan validity?

WHO NEEDS A DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN?

You might think disaster recovery plans are only for big corporations with lots of resources. But they’re arguably even more important for small businesses.

Whereas a big organisation will usually have a hefty enough financial buffer to deal with any costly mishaps, small business are less likely to have the same levels of financial measurements to pay for business disasters.

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Think of your disaster recovery plan as saviour, in the same way a business insurance policy can.

PROTECT YOUR DATA – YOUR BUSINESS DEPENDS ON IT CRITICALLY

A dental practice simply can’t afford to lose access to data. Whether it’s due to human error, a cyber attack, or a natural disaster, data loss puts your business at risk and can be very costly to put right.

BACK IT UP - SECURE IT

Make sure you regularly copy all your essential information over to a storage system that’s separate from your computer – and make a habit of it. Make sure you keep your business-critical backups up to date regularly.

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You could use a USB stick, an external hard drive, a separate laptop, or the cloud.

WHAT’S THE CLOUD?

Cloud storage providers store your data on their systems, so you’re not reliant on having access to a particular device or location. It’s a cost-effective and efficient way to keep your data secure.

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If you use email and you don’t run your own server, you’re most likely already using the cloud. DropBox, Google Drive, and iCloud are just some of the many providers you can choose from. With most, you’ll get a limited amount of space for free, with the option to pay more to up your allowance.

CLOUD BENEFITS

By using cloud storage you will get specialist expertise that you might not otherwise have the budget for as a small business owner.

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Cloud storage lets you back up automatically too, giving you one less thing to think about. It’s also a great way to make sure those backups happen in real time rather than, say, once a week or once a month – by then, lots of your information could be out of date.