Patrick Clary, President & Chief Operating Officer at DYOPATH
How protected is your organization in the event of a fire, flood, data breach – or even human error? A catastrophic loss of critical data can permanently destroy an organization’s ability to operate. As scary and unpleasant as that is, it’s a reality every organization should consider. Even a temporary disruption can have a major impact on your chance of survival. And unlike physical property, data can’t be easily recovered without the proper disaster recovery and backup plans.
You might be wondering how damaging an unexpected event could really be to your organization’s future. Unfortunately, the evidence paints an unsettling picture. Recent data indicates that roughly 93 percent of companies without disaster recovery that experience a major data disaster are out of business within a year.
It’s human to overlook what we can’t see. While one’s assets typically include property, equipment, investments, and employees, they can also comprise financial data, intellectual property, organizational knowledge, and even your branding.
In my last blog, I touched on cloud customization and the advantage of a hybrid cloud infrastructure within your organization. In today’s blog, I’m going to elaborate on how an appropriate and reliable recovery plan is the key to protecting your organization’s most valuable assets.
How Resilient Is Your Disaster Recovery Plan?
Data breaches occur across just about all industries. The average cost of just one breach in the US is $8.19 million and rising.
When calculating the potential for data loss, there’s also the very real cost of downtime to consider. It’s hard to know what downtime could cost a given organization in terms of recovery labor, equipment replacement, and missed business opportunities. But considering that estimates range anywhere from $926 to $17,244 per minute, it’s easy to see how even one day of lost productivity could signify a serious financial blow.
If you’re like many organizational leaders, you might already suspect your disaster recovery plan is lacking. An old or outdated data recovery system is a clear sign an upgrade is in order. You may even know what the problem is but feel too busy to resolve it. Since disastrous events don’t happen every day, it’s natural to put it off for a rainy day. However, as someone who has talked clients through some challenging recoveries, take my word for it: Better to plan ahead than react when it’s too late.
When assessing your group’s resilience, or lack thereof, consider some of these telltale signs of a lagging disaster recovery plan:
- Fragmented recovery tools or systems that aren’t designed to work together
- A lack of recovery points and time objectives in your recovery capabilities
- The knowledge that functioning during network downtime would be difficult or impossible in the event of an infrastructure reboot
- IT that is spread thin even in good times
It’s harder than ever to be fully protected. Even if cyber threats aren’t a particular concern, the fact is that human error is the top cause of security and data breaches. Loss of power, software failures, data corruption, and hardware failures are all common sources of data loss and downtime.
How Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) Can Work for You
Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) is a cloud computing service that can protect applications and data from a disaster or service disruption. It enables any organization to back up its data and IT infrastructure in the cloud through a separate service provider. In essence, you’re getting fast, reliable data protection without the distracting complexities that slow organizations down.
With DRaaS, backups are based on a replication process that copies organizations’ entire data and application systems. At any given moment, these backups will be saved in another location from which they can be accessed virtually. That way, if a client’s system is compromised, DRaaS enables them to easily retrieve their data.
DRaaS Provider Considerations
Still, not all DRaaS providers are equal. A comprehensive data recovery system will rely on multiple components at any given time. You’ll want to do some vetting and assess your options before committing to such an important part of your recovery plan. Here are two factors to consider:
Who Provides the Disaster Recovery Software?
Ask about your options, including which software providers are used. For instance, when DRaaS is powered by an industry-leading software provider like Zerto, you know you’ll get the most comprehensive software system available. This makes a difference in how fast a recovery would be.
Data Recovery and Retention
You also want to make sure you’re dealing with a highly flexible and reliable data management system. Veeam, another disaster recovery software that can efficiently capture and store data, is known for its ability to provide long-term retention for any sized organization.
Don’t worry. The experts at DYOPATH can walk you through the data recovery process, explain the difference between software providers, and assess your organization’s unique needs and requirements.
Get Extra Protection with Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
Consider switching to IaaS if you’re looking for an extra layer of protection for your organization’s IT infrastructure. It is a custom cloud solution that offers both cloud-based and hybrid infrastructure services. Because these options provide more flexibility than traditional options, you get added certified support that matches the distinct needs of your organization.
I’ve seen groups using IaaS experience extraordinary growth and improve their performance over time. If you’re interested, a specialist can help you understand the value IaaS can bring to your organization, and how to make the most of it.
Through a variety of services, DYOPATH can fully recover your data after a disaster. Whether your infrastructure is managed on-premise or in the cloud, be sure to look for a high-performance, virtual solution that is scalable for any organization, from startups to full-enterprise systems.
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog. As part of our “Cloud Services Grounded in Reliability” campaign, we are aiming to educate business leaders on viewing the cloud as a highly customizable entity, rather than just technology. I have one remaining blog coming up for this campaign where I’ll share my insights on improving your productivity with an integrated cloud solution.
You can learn more about DYOPATH and our diverse, cloud-based services by visiting our website.
Patrick Clary, President & Chief Operating Officer
DYOPATH
About the author: Patrick Clary is the President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of DYOPATH. He is responsible for planning and executing the overall vision, mission, strategy, and operations of the organization. Clary’s greatest strengths are leadership, risk mitigation, change management, and a passion for problem solving. He is known for having his finger on the pulse of DYOPATH’S major business initiatives, delivering operational excellence and an ability to provide guidance, and mitigating risk by asking questions. His leadership of DYOPATH is grounded in a servant mentality, always doing the right thing and acting like an owner when making decisions. His passion for DYOPATH comes from the ability to have an impact each day on the lives of employees and clients.