As a business owner, the last problem you need on your hands is a disaster. When things go wrong – and they will go wrong at one stage for your business – having a disaster recovery method in place is so important. What works best will vary from company to company, but several suggested methods exist. The disaster recovery industry is constantly changing, with new solutions available regularly. One such solution is Cloud-Based Disaster Recovery (CBDR).

This should be no surprise, given the importance and popularity of cloud-based technology today. A disaster recovery method kept off-site and managed by a third party can be extremely beneficial. Is this the right method for you and your business, though?

That question is tough, as every business has goals, aims, and budgetary challenges. However, some universal benefits stem from using cloud-based disaster recovery. Let us evaluate the benefits of using such a disaster recovery method. This should help clarify whether CBDR is the right choice for you.

The Benefits Of Cloud-Based Disaster Recovery

Minimizing Downtime

One of the primary benefits of using cloud-based disaster recovery is the reduction in downtime. Making sure that you can get your business operating as soon as possible is the ultimate goal of any disaster recovery solution. By investing in cloud-based disaster recovery, you are investing in the quickest way to get your business up and running again.

The cloud allows for rapid recovery of data and key systems from a secure, off-site location. This means your systems are back up and running as soon as conditions allow.

Get Expert Assistance

With an in-house or physically based disaster recovery plan, you need someone in-house who can restore the systems. Or you need company-wide training to ensure everyone is prepared to play their part. While this can be very useful, cloud-based disaster recovery allows you to rely on the expertise of their in-house specialists.

They can then work with you to help restore operations and functionality much quicker. Suppose your disaster recovery specialist is off-site, or your staff training is not yet 100% complete. In that case, you can restore key business functions using the professionals operating your cloud-based disaster recovery.

Cheaper To Start & Install

Another big bonus of using cloud-based disaster recovery is that it can be set up much quicker and for much less money than alternatives. Cloud-based solutions can be set up without investing in expensive, specialist hardware. You also do not have to invest money in a secondary location where you can store this physical hardware.

With cloud-based disaster recovery, the company you use for the recovery stores everything on their end. This means you can find that cloud-based disaster recovery is generally cheaper than more traditional options. This is especially useful for small businesses and newly started enterprises.

Integrate Into Your Business Continuity Plan

A cloud-based disaster recovery can be part of your wider business continuity plan in the event of a disaster. This means you know you have a separate location and storage for all your essential data, systems, and functions. You do not have to separate your cloud-based disaster recovery from your business continuity planning. It can be part of the system.

Remote Access

In some cases, you can even access your cloud-based disaster recovery remotely. This means that your staff can get on with the job using remotely based systems that they can access via the internet. So long as you still have internet connectivity, operations can resume even quicker.

That is so beneficial in the long run, allowing for a simpler and easier model to set up and interact with when required.

Easier Testing

The other primary benefit of cloud-based disaster recovery is that you can test the methodology without interrupting business. Other forms of IT disaster recovery can be expensive in your most valuable commodity: time. You need staff willing to work after operational hours to test the function, or you need to interrupt business functions to test your disaster recovery methods.

With cloud-based disaster recovery, you get a much easier method to deploy for testing. This allows you to ensure that everything is in place as it should be so you can be confident of a quick resumption of duties when disaster strikes.

Things To Consider Regarding Cloud-Based Disaster Recovery

While the above benefits are worth mentioning, there are other key considerations. You should, for example, make sure that you take into account the following factors:

• Are you comfortable with sharing your essential company functions with a third party? For some companies, transferring so much critical data could pose issues.
• Can your current disaster recovery methods scale to meet the size of your business? Could turning to cloud-based disaster recovery allow for easier scalability in the future?
• Is your current disaster recovery and business continuity plan robust enough that you do not need to invest in a new system? Can you trust your current methods to work in the future?
• How much would it cost for you to migrate everything to cloud-based disaster recovery solutions? Are the methods you are using now robust enough to provide the solutions needed?

Keep all of this in mind because businesses with an already-present disaster recovery plan might not need to move to the cloud. For businesses either new to disaster recovery or recently formed themselves, though, starting with the cloud is increasingly recommended. The lower cost and the access to third-party help and support, as well as the easier testing times, are hugely beneficial.

No ‘right’ answer is set in stone for every business. Some companies will benefit more from cloud-based disaster recovery than others. In general, though, this recovery method from problems is growing increasingly common, with good reason.

BRCCI – Business Resilience Certification Consortium International (www.brcci.org)

We are thankful to the author for allowing us to post this insightful article on our website. BRCCI provides a comprehensive training and certification program in business resiliency, continuity and IT disaster recovery planning:

1. 3-day CBRM (Certified Business Resilience Manager) is a comprehensive, all-in-one, 3-day Business Continuity Planning and Management Training and Certification course which is designed to teach practical methods to develop, test, and maintain a business continuity plan and establish a business continuity program.

2. 3-day CBRITP (Certified Business Resilience IT Professional) is a comprehensive training on how to assess, develop, test, and maintain an information technology (IT) Disaster Recovery Plan for recovering IT and telecommunications systems and infrastructure in the event of a disaster or business disruption. The training provides a step-by-step methodology to ensure a reliable and effective IT disaster recovery and continuity plan consistent with the industry’s standards and best practices.

3. 2-day CBRA (Certified Business Resilience Auditor) It provides 2 days of intensive, Business Continuity Audit training to enable students to determine the effectiveness, adequacy, quality and reliability of an organization’s Business Continuity Program. Students will learn an audit methodology to evaluate compliance of Business Continuity and IT Disaster Recovery Programs with the current industry’s best practices and standards including:

• ISO 22301: Business Continuity Management Systems – Requirements
• NFPA: Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs
• ITIL: Information Technology Infrastructure Library

For information on the above program, please contact BRCCI (www.brcci.org, 1-888-962-7224).