6 Common Disaster Recovery Mistakes and How To Avoid Them

Even though Disaster Recovery (DR) planning is a critical component of any organization's overall risk management strategy, nearly half of companies are unprepared. In 2021, only 54% of organizations reported having a documented, company-wide disaster recovery plan in place. And even when companies have a DR plan, many organizations make common mistakes which can lead to costly and time-consuming recovery efforts in the event of a disaster.

Here are six of the most common DR mistakes and how to avoid them.

1. Failing to Test the DR Plan: Many organizations have a DR plan in place. But having a plan and being able to implement a plan during an actual crisis are two different things. The best way to ensure your organization will be able to execute is to regularly test your plan. Failing to test it can result in a lack of confidence in the plan's effectiveness and lead to longer and more costly recovery efforts in the event of a real disaster. To avoid this, organizations should regularly test their DR plan to ensure that it’s both effective and that all stakeholders are familiar with their roles and responsibilities.

2. Lack of a Clear DR Strategy: When the pressure of a real disruption occurs, the only way to avoid confusion and delays in the recovery process is to have a clear DR strategy in place. Organizations should develop a comprehensive DR strategy that outlines the steps that will need to be taken in the event of a disaster, including how data and applications will be recovered and how critical business operations will be restored. If there is no strategy, your organization could end up just scrambling to get back up and running instead of being able to quickly implement a clearly defined and agreed upon plan.

3. Underestimating the Impact of a Disaster: Many organizations severely underestimate the impact of a disaster on their business, which can result in insufficient resources and planning efforts. To avoid this, organizations should conduct a thorough risk assessment and evaluate various disaster scenarios that could affect their operations. Having a complete understanding of the true cost to your organization will not only help create a sense of urgency to be prepared, but also help justify the cost of creating and implementing the safeguards needed to protect your business.

4. Neglecting the Role of Stakeholders: A DR plan is only as good as the people who are responsible for implementing it. Many organizations neglect the role of stakeholders in DR planning, which can lead to delays and confusion during the recovery process. To avoid this, organizations should clearly communicate the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders and ensure that they’re trained and equipped to carry out their duties in the event of a disaster.

5. Failing to Update the DR Plan: Many organizations fail to regularly update their DR plan, which can result in ineffective recovery efforts in the event of a disaster. DR planning is not a one and done activity. Plans can quickly become outdated as your technology and operations evolve. Regularly reviewing and updating your DR plan will ensure it remains relevant and effective, and help avoid being unprepared.

6. Proper Communication: Disaster Recovery affects everyone in your organization in some way even if they’re not directly involved with the systems involved in the disruption. Effective communication is key to make sure everyone is familiar with your organization’s DR plan and know what to expect when it needs to be implemented. This includes understanding both your Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point objective (RPO) and what it means for their individual roles and responsibilities..

By avoiding these common mistakes, organizations can ensure that they are prepared to effectively respond to a disaster and quickly restore critical business operations.