Preparation

Format of the Disaster Recovery Plan

• Easy to understand and follow
• Organized into sections
• Detailed steps of tasks to be accomplished
• Multiple formats for different audiences
• Print and electronic

Identify and Classify Services, Operations and Records

• Vital
• Important
• Non-essential

Secure and Restore Data

• Sound backup system based on priorities
• Electronic and paper backup of vital records (and plan!)
• Offsite backups and data storage
• Offsite office/redundant data center
• Remote data replication and outsourcing
• Others?

Assess Capabilities of Providers

• Affirm that your data is safe and secure.
• Test the provider's backup and disaster recovery plan.

Resources Needed and Redundancies

• Hardware
• Software
• Communications
• Facilities
• People
• Other resources

Hardware Needed and Redundancies

• Identify all required hardware.
• Be sure to include resources required to run and maintain hardware.
• Regularly update your list.
• Maintain key documents offsite.

Software Needed and Redundancies

• Identify all required software.
• Regularly update the list.
• Keep copies of key applications offsite.
• Maintain key documents offsite.
• Be certain your backup systems are reliable - and redundant.
• Taking Backups Home Better than nothing, but.
• Concerns about identify theft and protection of privacy

Backups and Data Recovery and Inherent Risks

• Backup plan-full, incremental and differential
• Offsite backups
• Remote data replication

Backups and Data Recovery

• Redundant data center
• Outsourcing backups and data replication

Communications Needed and Redundancies

• Assume all existing communication vehicles are unavailable.
• Determine what information will need to go out.
• Determine how information will be communicated to key response and recovery staff and to all stakeholders.

Facilities Needed and Redundancies

• Consider requirements for IT recovery site.
• Consider requirements for other necessary office space.

People Needed and Redundancies

• Who is qualified to manage tasks?
• Have they been trained?
• What is their prior experience?
• Ensure key people resources are backed up.

Identify Incident Response Team and Chain of Command

• Identify critical personnel.
• Communicate roles and responsibilities.
• Ensure personnel have authority needed.
• Be certain everyone knows who is in charge.
• Provide initial and ongoing training.

Provide For Your People Resources

• Transportation
• Shelter
• Food and water
• Supplies
• Security

Develop a Staged Shutdown

• Move from simple preparedness to ceasing operations.
• Protect assets while staff is available to do the work.
• Ensure that mission-critical operations are the last to be stopped.
• Ensure shutdown can be reversed if needed.

Coordinating with Partners

• Technology providers
• Consultants
• Local emergency preparedness agencies