An Introduction to Cloud Disaster Recovery
Cloud Disaster Recovery Topics
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What Is Cloud Disaster Recovery?
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Cloud Disaster Recovery Solutions vs. Traditional Disaster Recovery Solutions
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Why Cloud Disaster Recovery Is Important
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How To Build a Cloud Disaster Recovery Plan
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What Is Considered a Disaster?
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Benefits of Disaster Recovery in the Cloud
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Cloud Backup and Recovery Solutions
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As more mission-critical infrastructure moves online, any IT downtime could be devastating to an organization. From 2019 to 2022, 96% of businesses experienced at least one episode of downtime, with the cost of every hour of downtime exceeding $30,000 for mid-sized and enterprise organizations according to a study by LogicMonitor. Businesses face these costly interruptions due to a variety of threats, from ransomware and malware to natural disasters like tornadoes or hurricanes. Regardless of the reason, business continuity is increasingly important, and more sophisticated backup and disaster recovery (DR) solutions are needed.
For companies looking to minimize risk, reduce downtime, and alleviate monetary burdens of downtime, cloud disaster recovery enters as a solution. Ideal for all types of organizations, cloud DR solutions help simplify recovery and accelerate a return to business as usual.
What Is Cloud Disaster Recovery?
Cloud disaster recovery is the process of replicating and hosting servers and data in a third-party location away from a traditional on-site center. In the event of a disaster, the third-party vendor kicks in to continue business operations. Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) often offer flexible pricing like a subscription model or a pay-as-you-go option, reducing overhead costs and only charging customers when used during an incident. Once the disaster is over, the cloud disaster recovery services vendor helps restore all functions and access to business as usual.
Cloud Disaster Recovery Solutions vs. Traditional Disaster Recovery Solutions
Cloud disaster recovery solutions are somewhat new but quickly gaining popularity due to their flexibility and low cost of entry. Traditionally, organizations used localized, on-site recovery solutions that were extremely costly and difficult to maintain. Not only was a huge physical space needed for equipment and hardware, but additional costs for cooling, maintenance, hardware upgrades, and team headcount also made traditional disaster recovery solutions ineffective and rigid.
Cloud DR solutions can also go live in seconds, kicking in immediately to continue business, while traditional on-site centers need to be turned on manually. This could potentially cause a huge delay in disaster recovery, especially if it was after hours or on the weekend.
Similar to why businesses love cloud providers — scalability, flexibility, cost-effectiveness — organizations enjoy cloud-based DRaaS options. They offer fast, reliable protection without needing huge physical spaces or in-house IT workers. Overall, they help reduce downtime, mitigate risk, and increase customer satisfaction.
Why Cloud Disaster Recovery Is Important
It’s essential that businesses work quickly to minimize downtime. Downtimes cause serious consequences for all parties involved; from reputational damage to a loss in customer trust to lost revenue, the consequences of extended downtimes are severe. 88% of consumers would hesitate to purchase from a company they didn’t trust, and 39% say they’ve lost trust in a business due to a cybersecurity incident.
When it comes to revenue, disasters are equally detrimental. Monetary consequences can go as far as regulatory fines, maintenance costs, or customer compensation. There are several reasons why businesses should invest in a good backup management service.
Deeper Dive
While disasters are often a main reason, read this blog to learn all the ways cloud disaster recovery can help your business: Seven Reasons Why You Need a Good Backup Management Service
How To Build a Cloud Disaster Recovery Plan
A strategic cloud disaster recovery plan not only protects the business but also saves significant money. According to IBM, a data breach lasting under 200 days costs 30% less than one that lasts longer than 200 days. A formalized, pre-approved recovery plan improves coordination, reduces the likelihood of human error, and builds team confidence. Here are a few steps in building a cloud disaster recovery plan.
1. Identify the team.
In a disaster, communications must come from a single, pre-approved individual. Consolidate customer and external communication to a single point of contact, and identify the necessary team members to start working through the plan. This might include an executive leader, a crisis communications consultant, internal or external IT assistants, business operations workers, and more.
2. Assess all risks.
A disaster plan should address both natural and man-made disasters and estimate the severity of the disaster. Depending on this analysis, certain processes should kick into gear. Assessing risk helps identify vulnerabilities, establish baseline standards, and even provide insight into obtaining or renewing cyber liability insurance.
3. Document the plan.
This should be a written, formal, pre-approved plan that has been circulated and signed off on by all necessary parties. A disaster is not the time to be arguing over processes or plans, so approving and following a pre-written, comprehensive strategy is key. It should also be kept up to date, with detailed current information, and reviewed regularly to include best practices for backups. A good disaster recovery plan doesn’t sit on a shelf collecting dust! Also, circulate the plan among necessary team members so that everyone has a copy on hand.
4. Back up systems and data.
It pays significantly to have active and recent system and data backups. Many companies utilize a third-party manager to manage and ensure backups are done properly. If done incorrectly, a backup might be dead in the water when you need it most. TPx’s Managed Backup and Data Recovery Services help protect all valuable systems all the time.
5. Test the plan.
Now, it’s time to put the plan to the test. Using one of five methods, walkthrough, simulation, checklist, full interruption, or paralleling test, evaluate and examine the disaster recovery plan. Adjust as needed, and rework any areas.
What Is Considered a Disaster?
Disaster recovery plans are essential, but how do businesses even know if or when to activate them? What exactly is a “disaster?”
A disaster is a physical or digital catastrophic event. This could be a significant hardware malfunction or a natural disaster like flooding, a hurricane, or an earthquake. A cyberattack would be a disaster, including phishing, ransomware, or malware attack. Many increasingly sophisticated types of attacks would be a disaster as well, like Interplanetary File System or (IPFS) attacks. Any of these events would set off a chain reaction to implement the disaster recovery plan, and a solid plan should detail the exact steps for each of these scenarios.
Benefits of Disaster Recovery in the Cloud
Cloud disaster recovery offers significant benefits over traditional on-site backup centers.
Reduced physical infrastructure dependency
Not only are physical backup centers subject to the same natural disaster that affects the main center of operations, but the physical infrastructure is also extremely costly to maintain and update. Businesses need a large, cool physical storage space, internal team members to operate it, and constant upgrades to hardware.
Reduced single point of failure
If backups are being stored in traditional on-site facilities, there is no safety net, which creates a dangerous single point of failure. Cloud disaster recovery options are dispersed across multiple locations, ensuring continuity if one site fails.
Increased scalability
Cost burdens fall to the cloud provider, not the organization. With traditional centers, businesses bear the cost of maintaining and upgrading all hardware and systems, making it time-consuming and expensive to increase capacity or operations.
Increased automation
Instead of relying on a single IT worker to continuously scan networks for vulnerabilities, detect threats, and execute recovery plans, technology can perform these tasks automatically. With automation built into many cloud providers, steps can be executed seamlessly without any lag.
Increased cost savings
Cloud migrations typically involve significant cost savings, and disaster recovery is no different. Organizations no longer have to purchase expensive equipment, store it properly, and perform routine maintenance. Also, cloud disaster recovery plans are often more flexible, allowing businesses to pay as they go or as needed.
Cloud Backup and Recovery Solutions
If a business is ready to proceed with cloud-based disaster recovery solutions, how do they go about sifting through the options? Here are a few things to look for when selecting a solution.
User-friendly
A cloud-based solution won’t be more helpful if employees can’t figure out how to use it. Ensure a platform is simple enough for the least technical person in the company to use.
Efficient monthly and storage costs
Cost is a critical component of selecting a solution. And the most expensive option doesn’t mean it’s the best or right for a specific business. Depending on the size of backups and how long they need to be stored, pricing can vary widely. Have a firm understanding of all costs involved, and make sure it fits in the budget. Also, stay aware of usage limits and costs to increase capacity in case that sends a solution outside of the budget.
Data security
The DRaaS should be secure and compliant with all regulations. For example, GDPR outlines stringent guidelines on data storage, so double check a cloud solution has the latest data and encryption software.
For businesses ready to invest in cloud disaster recovery, having an expert partner is ideal. This ensures an organization is selecting the right platform, running backups consistently, and constantly maintaining the highest data security. TPx’s Managed Backups consolidate all backups into a fully featured total data protection platform. Data is automatically backed up to a secure offsite location and instantly recoverable.
TPx Can Help With Cloud Disaster Recovery Services
Working with an expert managed services provider like TPx provides superior support and protection for disaster recovery, plus a more confident peace of mind.
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