Welcome to A-level ICT

Disaster Recovery Planning

All companies are concerned with losing data. Many companies’ especially large companies have disaster recovery procedures. As a result of the continuing changes in ICT these companies need to revise their plans. Factors that should be included in a disaster recovery plan are discussed below:-

COST

Set up a budget for it
What backup medium should be used? Tape or disc/ Raid systems depending upon the speed or money available to recover the data
Hardware can be replaced how much money have they got
Software can be re-installed. (or de-bugged by the programming department).

RISK

What problems could occur?
Likelihood of them occurring e.g. are they going to get an earthquake in UK
On site or off site depending upon costs and the likelihood of the risk occurring and the criticality of the data.

DATA

No business can afford to lose its data.
Backups of all data should be regularly made. This means that the worst case scenario is that the business has to go back to the situation of the last backup and carry on from there. Backups may take a long time – often tape-streamed at night.

HARDWARE / SOFTWARE / COMMUNICATIONS

The total or partial loss of computing equipment or software
The complete or partial loss of telecommunications equipment or services
The complete or partial loss of the premises housing the IT equipment.
The loss of essential services such as electricity, heating or air conditioning
Alternative communication /computer systems may be arranged in case a network goes down or alternative power supply.

PERSONNEL, RESPONSIBILITIES & TRAINING

The loss of certain key employees (e.g., losing all the qualified network staff in one go due to them choosing to form their own facilities organisation)
The loss of maintenance or support
Make one person responsible for backups so people don’t think others are doing it and it does not get done or do they use online backup companies or both!
Screening potential employees
Routines for distributing updated virus information and virus scanning procedures
Define procedures for downloading from the Internet, use of floppy discs, personal backup procedures
Define staff code of conduct for using computer systems e.g. no abusive emails. No illicit use etc.
What response should staff make when the disaster occurs

PROCEDURES

Produce procedures for minimising the risks
Test the plan on a regular basis to make sure it still sufficient
Establish physical protection system (firewalls etc.)
Establish security rights for file access and updating web pages
Establish a disaster recovery programme. This starts with a backup policy to secure the data so it can
be recovered later e.g. backup procedures required.
How often should backups be taken?
Restoration policy backup every day/hour and rotate tapes to ensure there is always a copy to
restore files
What type of backup? Where the backup is to be stored?
Decide upon types of backup full, incremental or differential depending upon how many items of data are changed
Set up auditing procedures (Audit trails) to detect misuse
Premises relocation

Page updated

Report abuse