What are the best practices for testing and updating your BC/DR plan?

1 Assess your risks and objectives

The first step in testing and updating your BC/DR plan is to assess your current risks and objectives. You need to identify the potential threats and scenarios that could disrupt your IT operations, such as natural disasters, cyberattacks, power outages, or human errors. You also need to define your recovery objectives, such as how much data you can afford to lose (recovery point objective, or RPO), and how long you can tolerate downtime (recovery time objective, or RTO). These factors will help you prioritize and allocate resources for your BC/DR plan.

2 Review your recovery strategies and procedures

The next step is to review your recovery strategies and procedures, and make sure they are aligned with your risks and objectives. You need to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of your backup and restore solutions, such as cloud-based or off-site storage, replication, or failover. You also need to document and update the roles and responsibilities of your IT staff, vendors, and stakeholders, as well as the communication and escalation channels. Additionally, you need to verify the availability and compatibility of your hardware, software, and network components, and ensure they meet your security and compliance standards.

3 Conduct regular tests and drills

The third step is to conduct regular tests and drills to validate and improve your BC/DR plan. You need to simulate different scenarios and test your recovery capabilities under realistic conditions. You can use different types of tests, such as tabletop exercises, walk-throughs, or full-scale rehearsals, depending on the scope and complexity of your BC/DR plan. You should also involve all the relevant parties in the testing process, and collect feedback and suggestions from them. Testing and drilling will help you identify and resolve any gaps, errors, or issues in your BC/DR plan, and enhance your readiness and confidence.

4 Monitor and measure your performance

The fourth step is to monitor and measure your performance during and after the tests and drills. You need to collect and analyze data and metrics that indicate how well your BC/DR plan met your recovery objectives, such as data loss, downtime, recovery speed, or user satisfaction. You should also compare your performance against your benchmarks and industry standards, and identify any areas for improvement or optimization. Monitoring and measuring your performance will help you evaluate and demonstrate the value and effectiveness of your BC/DR plan, and justify your investment and resources.

5 Update and revise your BC/DR plan

The final step is to update and revise your BC/DR plan based on the results and feedback from the previous steps. You need to incorporate any changes or enhancements that will improve your recovery capabilities, such as new technologies, processes, or best practices. You also need to reflect any changes or developments in your business environment, such as new regulations, customer expectations, or market trends. Updating and revising your BC/DR plan will help you keep it relevant and responsive to your current and future needs and challenges.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?