Data loss due to an accident – a real horror scenario. But disaster recovery can help you with data recovery. We show you what is important for data backup.

What is disaster recovery?

Disaster recovery refers to a recovery after a disaster. Computer scientists use the term disaster recovery to refer to all the measures they take after a disaster. In addition to the replacement or exchange of destroyed hardware or IT infrastructure, this includes data recovery in particular. Disaster recovery is therefore an important part of any company’s security concept. It can ensure that business processes can continue as quickly and smoothly as possible after a disaster. Such an accident can be a hacker attack as well as a natural disaster or hardware damage.

The Disaster Recovery Plan

A functioning IT security essentially consists of two building blocks, business continuity (BC) and a disaster recovery plan (DRP). With a good DRP, you can get back to your day-to-day business quite quickly. On the one hand, this consists of an inventory: Which business processes are in place and how are they regulated? On the other hand, the Disaster Recovery Plan includes possible disaster scenarios and explains how any resulting damage can be quickly and effectively eliminated. One of the main goals here is to maintain data security. Last but not least, such planning should also identify preventive measures. Steps to secure data by means of backup can be just as much a part of the security plan as defense mechanisms against cyberattacks.

The DRP in practice

When creating disaster recovery solutions, it is better to consider how the company is set up organizationally and technically. In the event of a hacker attack, the only thing that matters is to protect the system and be prepared with a backup. To ensure this, those responsible in the company, especially in medium-sized companies, should familiarize themselves with the concepts of Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO). Only then can the solution be implemented in the IT systems. The design always varies, but the goal of restoring the data by means of a backup remains the same. Whether you then use a cloud or an external hard drive depends entirely on the DRP. The main reasons for this seem insignificant at first glance, but can lead to a high data loss.

Human factor

An old computer scientist’s wisdom says: 90 percent of all computer problems are in front of the screen. Therefore, you must always consider the danger posed by the human factor. What is meant by this is that many disasters can be generated by your own employees. A hidden ransomware in a video, almost everyone knows such a case in which the security is no longer given. But mistakes could also be made during programming or the knowledge of your IT department is lost due to retirement or job changes – data is no longer completely protected from hackers. Regular training is important for existing IT department employees. Distribute the tasks among several shoulders and enable cross-checks. This way, any errors that arise can be discovered and eliminated more quickly. On the other hand, employees must also be clearly trained according to the DRP so that they can reliably avoid threats and ransomware in advance. Only then can they take the appropriate measures to recover data, or save recovering altogether.

Test disaster recovery plan

A crucial mistake is to rely on the disaster recovery plan without testing it first. As a result, serious security vulnerabilities go undetected. In the event of an emergency, this can lead to a severe data loss despite the disaster recovery plan. Unannounced and spontaneous tests by simulating an emergency situation are therefore immensely important. These should take place at regular intervals and be documented. The results supplement the DRP accordingly and thus lead to an optimization of data recovery and maintain data protection.

Disaster recovery with TeamDrive

Are you afraid of data loss? With TeamDrive, German companies are on the safe side. TeamDrive monitors all your data and automatically creates a snapshot of your data every four hours. And not just for your PC, but for all PCSs that are integrated into TeamDrive. With just a few simple steps, you can completely restore your data. These snapshots or restore intervals can be shortened to 30 minutes and can be archived and retained for up to 10 years if desired.

Protect yourself from data loss!