Disaster Recovery Journal Winter 2023

failures, cyber threats, and natural disas ters pose significant risks to businesses. A future-proof recovery strategy helps miti gate these risks by incorporating proactive measures, ensuring data protection, and enabling swift recovery in case of an inci dent. This enables organizations to navi gate uncertainties and maintain resilience in the face of potential disruptions. Key Elements of a Future Proof Recovery Strategy The right recovery strategy will provide organizations with the control and respon siveness to confront the risks of both today and tomorrow. Key elements of a future proof strategy include: Comprehensive Risk Assessment Organizations should conduct a thor ough risk assessment through a business impact analysis (BIA) to identify vulner abilities and prioritize recovery efforts. Consider internal factors like operational infrastructure reliability, data integrity, and application dependencies, as well as external factors like regulatory compli ance and emerging threats. This assess ment forms the foundation for designing an effective recovery strategy. Scalable and Flexible Recovery Solutions A future-proof recovery strategy must be scalable and flexible to adapt to chang ing IT environments and business needs. For example, cloud-based recovery ser vices offer scalability and on-demand resource allocation, and automation and orchestration streamline recovery pro cesses, reducing downtime and improving efficiency. By leveraging these technolo gies, businesses can achieve agility and responsiveness in their recovery capabili ties. Hybrid Recovery Models Hybrid recovery combines on-prem ises and cloud-based solutions to create a robust and flexible recovery architecture. It enables businesses to leverage colocation and private and public cloud infrastruc tures, ensuring redundancy, data replica tion, and quick recovery in the event of a disaster. Hybrid recovery models provide

a balanced approach which optimizes cost, performance, and security. Best Practices for a Proactive Approach to Recovery In the pursuit of an unwavering disas ter recovery strategy, adopting a proactive approach is not just a choice but a neces sity. By embracing best practices which anticipate challenges before they arise, organizations can navigate disruptions with resilience and confidence. In this sec tion, we delve into the fundamental best practices which form the bedrock of a pro active disaster recovery strategy, empow ering businesses to stay one step ahead in safeguarding their critical operations. Regular Assessments and Updates A future-proof recovery strategy requires continuous assessment and updates. Organizations need to regu larly review and refine their strategy, so it continues to align with evolving IT ecosystems, emerging technologies, and changing business requirements. Then, implement ongoing monitoring and evalu ation to ensure the effectiveness of that strategy over time. Proactive IT Health Monitoring By continuously monitoring the health and status of IT systems, applications, and infrastructure components, organizations can anticipate potential issues, optimize resource allocation, and maintain the agil ity needed to adapt to evolving technology landscapes. Frequent DR Testing with Automation By regularly simulating real-world recovery scenarios, organizations iden tify vulnerabilities, maintain compatibil ity with emerging technologies, reduce risks, and achieve operational confidence. Automation streamlines recovery pro cesses, expedites system restoration, and provides consistent and auditable results, supporting scalability and compliance efforts. Additionally, this practice fosters a culture of preparedness and facilitates informed decision-making, ultimately enhancing the organization’s resilience and readiness to navigate disruptions with certainty.

Drift Management Configurations and environments change. By proactively monitoring and rectifying configuration deviations through drift management, organizations can ensure recovery plans remain accurate and relevant, safeguarding against incon sistencies during actual recovery efforts. In a rapidly evolving business realm, drift management is a cornerstone for maintain ing operational integrity and readiness, as it ensures recovery plans keep pace with technological shifts and emerging chal lenges. To stay ahead of drift, introducing disaster recovery controls in change man agement processes is essential. Something as simple as a required input field in your change ticket which asks, “How does this affect DR?” is a good place to get started. Collaboration and Expertise Organizations should consider collabo rating with recovery experts and leverag ing that expertise to build and maintain a strategy which will stand the test of time. Partnering with a trusted recovery ser vice provider offers access to specialized knowledge, advanced tools, and best prac tices. Their experience and guidance can help navigate the complexities of evolving IT ecosystems and ensure optimal recov ery outcomes. Next Steps: Build a Recovery Strategy Which is Ready for Anything Building a future-proof recovery strat egy is imperative for businesses operating in dynamic IT ecosystems. By understand ing the changing landscape, acknowl edging the importance of adaptability, and incorporating key elements like risk assessment, scalability, and hybrid models, organizations can prepare themselves for the challenges ahead. Embrace the oppor tunity to build a recovery strategy which not only addresses the present but also anticipates the future, empowering your team and enabling your business to thrive in the ever-evolving digital landscape. v Erin Steinmetz is senior vice president of marketing for Recovery Point Systems.

30 DISASTER RECOVERY JOURNAL | WINTER 2023