DISASTER RECOVERY FOR SMBS
Preparing for the worst Disaster recovery is increasing in importance but many SMBs don’t have an adequate plan in place. Resellers have a crucial role to play in ensuring that a good one is put in place – but what should go into it?
For businesses of all sizes, but especially small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) downtime is feared. Even just a couple of hours can cost a business dear, but a full-on disaster could prove fatal. This is why disaster recovery should be front of business owners’ minds. Yet many SMBs don’t have a disaster recovery (DR) plan. “Reports show that 46% of businesses have no documented DR plan, which is particularly alarming given that it’s reported 90% of SMBs fail within a year if they can't resume operations within five days after a disaster,” says Dave Joyce, CEO of Macrium. “In our increasingly vulnerable business environment, this lack of preparedness is a significant risk. A comprehensive DR plan, backed by an effective backup solution, is crucial for business resilience and survival. “By combining robust on-site and cloud infrastructure with a comprehensive strategy that covers all potential risks, businesses can ensure they are prepared for the unexpected. Resellers, in turn, must engage customers in meaningful conversations to help them build and maintain disaster recovery plans that not only protect their data but also ensure business continuity.” Karl Wilkinson, technical director at Lucid Systems, agrees. “DR is often considered an afterthought and something that is typically brought in as a contingency once a company has already experienced a disaster and is learning from its mistakes,” he says. “This might be for one of many reasons – small businesses may be unaware that they need a DR plan, they could be unsure where to start or how to set one up, or they might be worried about the costs involved in setting up a plan.” Quentin Simmons, eSentire senior digital forensic investigator, notes that even if a DR plan is in place, in some cases they are not correctly implemented. “Plans are not being tested and nor re-evaluated on a consistent basis to keep up with the evolution of risks,” he says. “The threat forecast
Dave Joyce CEO
macrium.com
doesn’t just always target SMBs, it may impact an upstream provider or even critical infrastructure. Organisations need to ensure their DR strategies include redundancy and multiple phases to maintain the integrity of their backups.” Pushing plans DR plans are increasing being pushed by vendors and regulators. “Customers’ DR plans are mostly driven by compliance,” says Quentin. “If a customer must have a DR plan to meet a compliance requirement, they typically do just enough to meet that requirement. Complex DR processes are typically pushed by vendors.” John Murray, CTO, virtualDCS, adds that the insurance industry's evolving requirements is driving a focus on cyber risks in plans. “Insurers now require businesses to have robust DR plans with safeguards against traditional disasters and cyberthreats,” he says. “This is reflected in insurance policies that include cyber risk coverage and protections against rogue employees. “As a result, businesses are increasingly
Karl Wilkinson technical director
lucidsystems.co.uk
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