Disaster recovery (DR) planning has evolved into a central mechanism for protecting today’s businesses from the growing threat of cybercrime and natural disasters. Owns 86% of global businesses With their organizations expected to fall victim to cyberattacks in the next 12 months, it’s critical to test their DR plans before disaster strikes. Unfortunately, however, DR testing is not as high a priority as it once was. This is because data center professionals are very skinny and don’t have the time or tools to test more frequently.
DR testing is important because the recovery process is not only based on your recovery process, but also on the coordination, collaboration, and sequencing of internal team members. Deployed structures must be maintained across storage, network, applications, databases, and other remote work platforms.
While cyber threats can put enormous strain on a business’s productivity and ability to recover data quickly, there is a more common yet overlooked security threat – unintentional human error. In fact, Verizon’s 2021 Data Breach Investigations report found that 85% of data breaches during the pandemic were caused by human factors. Automated DR detection software can be used to identify strange behavior and signs of violations in disaster environments. However, the first line of defense is always the employees of the business.
What is a disaster recovery plan?
Disaster recovery plans need to include policies, tools, and procedures to facilitate recovery and recovery of critical technical infrastructure and systems following a disruptive event. Disasters can be caused by a variety of factors—everything from weather to hardware failures, from cybercrime to human error.
Planning ahead helps businesses determine the best strategy to deal with the threat of a disaster and therefore reduce any downtime. With the ever-increasing number of attack vectors, disaster recovery planning is critical to business continuity.
The Human Aspect of Technology
It is an inescapable fact that human error can lead to data loss, so it is imperative that all organizations remain vigilant and educate employees on how to best mitigate these incidents. In fact, according to the 2021 Data Protection Report, 53% of data loss is due to human error.
The most common reasons for a cyber breach include email misdelivery, accidental deletion, poor IT hygiene, data corruption, and outdated security training for employees. What’s the connection? They can all be minimized through employee training, strict internal policies, and a more complete understanding of today’s cybersecurity landscape.
Prevent data loss due to human error
Reducing human error should not be passive. Proactive measures should be taken to ensure immediate response in the face of a disaster and reduce total data loss. Employee training, internal regulations, and job design are some of the effective controls that businesses can use.
According to a recent study by training company KnowBe4, 55% of workers After the pandemic started, there was little cybersecurity training. Whether as part of an overall IT strategy or on its own, organizations should educate all employees on online safety practices—especially those working remotely. This can greatly reduce the risk of data loss caused by ransomware or other forms of malware.
Just as important as having non-IT staff well trained in cybersecurity, every member of the business IT team should conduct regular training and upskilling exercises. IT teams play a key role in DR planning and keeping systems available and accessible during emergencies. A comprehensive understanding and analysis of the network environment is critical to implementing the most effective recovery plan.
Employees need to be aware of the organization’s best-practice policies—restricting file access, using strong passwords and authentication, promoting good backup habits, using a secure network, and routine network hygiene checks. These measures, combined with the right IT strategy, can greatly reduce the risk of incidents caused by human error.
The importance of human touch
While automated DR tests have important uses, they only test the technical components of a DR program. In the event of a real disaster, employees also need to work quickly and skillfully to get the system back up and running. Doing mock and physical tests ahead of time will help ensure your team is ready to enforce your policies and procedures. This is a field without silos or a “team vs. individual” mentality.
Employees can – and should – be your greatest asset in a disaster. Investing time and effort up front to upskill your workforce can mean the difference between survival and prosperity.
