Is your Houston business prepared for the unfortunate event of an IT disaster? If not, we highly recommend getting the assistance of a reliable managed IT support partner. With modern-day technology becoming more robust and capable than ever before, even smaller businesses in Houston have started implementing IT systems to conduct their daily operations.
While there are many benefits brought forth by modern-day technology, it has also introduced new vulnerabilities in a business that can be used to cause serious damage and losses to the business.
There are many measures that small businesses can take to protect themselves from such attacks, however, it is always wise to be prepared with a recovery plan in an unfortunate case of an IT disaster. So, let us look at the process of IT disaster recovery planning for small businesses to prepare for the worst in Houston.
What Is IT Disaster Recovery Plan?
IT disaster recovery plan is a process where small businesses create systems and measures to recover from any damage that may be sustained during an event such as a cyberattack or network failure. Its main objective is to minimize the losses suffered by a business and its ability to recover its precious data which is the target of such events.
To properly plan for IT disaster recovery, small businesses need to do the following:
- Data Backups
- Continuity of Essential Business Function
- Scanning of potential vulnerabilities
A managed IT support partner in Houston can help you perform the above-mentioned functions to prepare a proper plan for IT disaster recovery. According to BizTech almost 88% of SMBs have hired managed service providers, mostly to handle IT and other operation
Importance of IT Disaster Recovery Plan for Small Businesses
- Protection of Valuable Data
One of the most important aspects that each small business must keep in mind is the protection of their valuable data. This data is a major target for any cyberattack with the aim to damage your growing business. By creating backups of this data, you reduce the chance of facing serious losses during such attacks.
- Reduction in Downtime
Time is an essential commodity in the field of business and for small businesses even a short downtime is capable of causing serious losses. With the ability to recover from an IT disaster in the quickest manner possible, you reduce the potential downtime that your business may face in such instances.
How to Create an IT Disaster Recovery Plan?
The biggest question that small businesses need the answer for is how to create an IT disaster recovery plan. To do this, you need to do certain things which include:
- Assess Your Vulnerabilities
To start planning for an IT disaster recovery plan, look towards the IT systems of your business in Houston to see which parts are vulnerable to cyberattacks and potential unauthorized access. This will help you implement the right security measures and assess what part of your business may suffer damages during such an event.
- Distinguish the Core Business Functions
Interruption in core business functions is extremely costly for small businesses which makes their security a priority. So, make sure you are aware of which functions performed by your IT systems are critical for the functioning of your business and prioritize securing them as much as possible. Managed IT support services in Houston can help you with securing business functions.
- Create a Backup for all your Data
Preparing for an event of IT disaster is only effective if you can recover all that is lost during such an event. Backups are thus very valuable to small businesses and should be made regularly for each new data that gets created in a small business in Houston. Managed IT support services include backups as a service so it is wise to hire them for IT disaster recovery planning.
- Make a Decision Regarding Backup Unit
Once your small business in Houston has created all the backups you will need, it is time to think about where you can store this data. To store this data, small businesses in Houston have the option to either create separate systems to store their data or use cloud services to maintain backups of their data.
- Form Effective Communication Channels
A crucial aspect that needs to be under control in a situation of IT disaster is quick communication. Being able to inform your employees, customers, and your managed IT support service in Houston about the event can help you reduce the impact of such an event on your valuable data.
- Perform Regular Test Runs
The only time a small business in Houston will confirm that its IT disaster recovery plan is working is during an active disaster. Managed IT support services in Houston can help you with testing the measures implemented to see their effectiveness without any damage to your precious data.
- Update your IT Disaster Recovery Plan
When technology evolves it doesn’t just bring new benefits but also new challenges in the form of new types of IT disasters. This means that one IT disaster recovery plan is not going to remain effective at its job forever and will require updates over time. So, make sure to work with your managed IT support services in Houston to update your IT disaster recovery plan.
Conclusion
Managed IT support services in Houston are a great help for small businesses that require assistance in creating an IT disaster recovery plan. So, if you are in search of a reliable managed IT support service in Houston, contact ITCloudGlobal today.