From a business perspective, the pandemic demonstrated how important it is to have a plan in place to remain operational in the event a disaster strikes. Being proactive in data protection is a key part of this preparation, be it for a pandemic or a devastating ransomware attack. 

But what does this plan look like? We all hear buzzwords like resiliency, continuity, backups, and recovery. At N8 Solutions, we often get asked by our clients about the difference between business continuity and disaster recovery: Are they the same? If not, do we need both? 

On the surface, business continuity and disaster recovery can look like interchangeable processes, but this isn’t exactly the case. Let’s borrow an analogy from healthcare. Business continuity is akin to a wellness program. How can we best keep our bodies and minds healthy and strong? A wellness plan might include things like routine check-ups, learning about family medical history, and incorporating a healthy diet and exercise. 

Yet, while a wellness program can help us prevent illness or injury, we may still suffer medical setbacks. To continue the analogy, disaster recovery is akin to the plan you create—likely in tandem with a doctor or medical provider—to recover from illness and get back to full health. In this comparison, a business continuity or wellness plan can help our organization stay healthy, while a disaster recovery or treatment plan can help us get back to normal following an adverse event.

Just as each component is critical for your overall health and well-being, the same is true for your business. Business continuity and disaster recovery each serve a specific, critical, and interconnected function in mitigating risk and data loss for your organization. In this post, we dive a bit deeper to show you why you need both.

What is Business Continuity?

Just as a wellness plan can keep us healthy, business continuity is a methodology to keep your operations functional. It happens at two critical points: during a disaster and immediately following an adverse event. Business continuity, or BC, includes all of the internal and external processes and procedures that you put in place to help you and your team resume operations and get back up and running after a crisis, with a goal of minimal downtime.

An apt case study for business continuity is the transformation that resulted from the global coronavirus pandemic. Those organizations with a robust business continuity plan in place were better positioned to respond to and survive the upheaval, which included shifting consumer preferences for digital services and products and navigating a sudden move to remote workplaces. 

An effective BC plan will address all aspects of your operations, including your communications, your technology infrastructure and security, and your workforce response. In a previous post, we outlined five steps to develop an effective business continuity plan for your organization, which include:

1. Understand your environment by assessing your level of risk and the unique vulnerabilities of your business.

2. Assess the impact of potential risk scenarios on your operations with a business impact analysis.

3. Develop a plan in tandem with your leadership team that takes these assessments and  priorities (critical functions, risks, and impact) into account. 

4. Implement the plan with a dedicated business continuity team and write this plan into your existing organizational documentation.

5. Review, review, review the plan with a regular testing cadence to identify gaps and continually improve and update the plan as needed.

What is Disaster Recovery?

Just as you form a recovery plan with your medical provider following an adverse health outcome, disaster recovery is a plan to restore your business operations to full health following a disruption. Disaster recovery is typically thought of as a subset of your larger business continuity strategy. It focuses on how you will respond to an adverse event to quickly return your technology systems and infrastructure to normal. 

Often, disaster recovery is predicated on restoring key processes within a specific amount of time after a disruption or unplanned outage. For example, critical functions may need to be restored in 24 hours whereas less important functions might take as long as a week for full restoration. A disaster recovery plan will take into account all vital systems, including communications, technology assets, and hardware. The goal of it all is to get you back up and running as quickly as possible.

This is where backing up data will come into play. In a previous post, we outlined four considerations for choosing the right backup solution for better disaster recovery, which include flexibility, automation, budget, and consolidation. And remember, the benefits of backing up extend beyond disaster recovery; implementing the right solution can also help your business comply with legal or regulatory requirements, assuage concerned customers and stakeholders, save money, and reduce the strain on your busy technology team.

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery: Why You Need Both

Business continuity and disaster recovery are critical components to restore your business following a disaster or cyberattack. Without one, the other fails. The combination of a robust BC and disaster recovery strategy puts you and your business in the best possible place to recover from any disaster that may strike, be it a cyberattack, natural disaster, stolen device, accidental or deliberate sabotage from employees, or even another world-changing pandemic.

Keep in mind that business continuity planning is not a one-time, check-the-box effort. Your BC plan is a “living document” that underpins an ongoing, continuous effort to protect your business. Embed flexibility and adaptability in your plan and retain a focus on people with strategies to keep both your internal and external customers safe yet connected during and following a disruption.

Perhaps most importantly, aim to make disaster recovery a part of your business continuity plan and practice. In the unfortunate event that disaster strikes, a coordinated plan will ensure that your organization can quickly restore data and return to business as usual with limited downtime and data loss. It’s a welcome wellness plan for your business in 2021 and beyond. 

Please get in touch with us today to learn more.