Question

Cloud-based systems and services are often ideal options for critical parts of a Business Continuity (BC) or Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP).

Research some of the ways this is being done today.

Discuss how cloud-based systems support business continuity. How can potential risks be transferred to cloud providers?

Answer 1

Even in this day and age of IT resilience, business continuity and disaster recovery plans often go overlooked, avoided or procrastinated into oblivion. Every year, many readers report that they are not confident in their organization's ability to recover following a disaster. Lack of support from management is a frequent problem, because BC/DR planning can be expensive and provides no immediate ROI. It's often compared to buying insurance -- investing in something you hope you will never need. But it doesn't have to be that way.

Between a recent rise in cyberattacks, the ever-present threat of extreme weather and the possibility of outages and failures, the need to recover following disaster is more important than ever. Ensuring BC in times of disaster is essential, and the faster, the better. These days, any downtime could be considered an unacceptable level of downtime, so getting things up and running quickly should be a top priority. Along with being responsible for your own facilities and staff, you may also be responsible for critical data.

Business continuity and disaster recovery plans can and should be integrated with your day-to-day operations. Over the past few years, DR planning has become more affordable and easier thanks to advancements in technologies. Creative planners are finding ways to integrate DR with other essential operations to streamline processes.

This guide offers a collection of our best BC/DR content. You'll find information on BC/DR planning and management; server, storage, networking and security technologies; and free downloadable templates that simplify the planning process. Once you've finished the guide, take our BC/DR planning quiz to test what you've learned.