FEATURE : DISASTER RECOVERY testing , prioritising data , systems and needs , and communications and training .”
Khaled added that each of these considerations need to be addressed when an organisation is planning its Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery ( BCDR ).
Bostan said from natural disasters , network intrusions , human error , cybercriminal and other security concerns , the list of potential threats facing an organisation today continues to grow in numbers , severity and complexity . “ The pandemic has been the catalyst for those organisations still undecided about the cloud to embrace Digital Transformation at a rate and scale previously unanticipated ,” he said . “ However , this means that Disaster Recovery is crucial to ensure that companies can rapidly recover from any potential risk , regardless its origin . While natural disasters might be a relatively rare occurrence in South Africa , for example , these cannot be ignored completed especially in areas prone to flooding .”
According to Khaled , the definition of ‘ disaster ’ is changing . He explained that while power outages , hardware , software failures and human errors are still prevalent , cyberattacks such as ransomware are becoming an increasingly widespread threat to small and Medium-Size Businesses ( SMBs ). “ To recover any data during a ransomware attack , you will need a highly customised DR plan and the right enabling capabilities . Your two-year-old DR plan won ’ t cut it ,” he said . “ There are several different Disaster Recovery plans , so choosing the right one for your business can seem daunting . Four primary categories to consider are :
Data centre DR – a separate physical facility located at a safe distance from production systems , cloud DR – Backup and recovery of systems and data , to and from a public cloud , virtualisation DR – Backup and recovery of IT infrastructure to an offsite Virtual Machine ( VM ) and DRaaS – Cloud-based solution offered by thirdparty providers .
Khaled added that since Disaster Recovery planning is unique to every business , it is imperative to understand available options , flexibility and scalability , and the costs associated with each .
Bostan said becoming more flexible is one of the key learnings from the past 12-months especially when it comes to Disaster Recovery planning . He added that while this applies to how business leaders think about the new challenges emerging , it is also relevant when talking about infrastructure and the way business is done .
According to Bostan , a Disaster Recovery plan must now incorporate all data touchpoints and be able to
cope with its decentralisation . “ To this end , a company must understand where its critical data resides and how to manage it tightly while still having the agility to ensure employees can fulfil their job functions regardless of their physical locations ,” he said . “ It must also factor in the risks to its supply chain when delivering products and services to customers . Any disruption can potentially have significant financial and reputational repercussions on the business .”
Bostan said organisations must regard the likes of Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity as key organisational activities and maintain a comprehensive programme to implement and manage its information systems , business premises , employees and any other workers . “ To this end , the plan must ensure the
Nasser Bostan , Head , Security Sales , Middle East and Africa , BT
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