Disaster Recovery Plan Checklist Your guide for setting up or updating a Disaster Recovery Plan for your business.
ArcSource Disaster Recovery Plan Checklist 1. Compile Your Internal Contacts Information to include: Name, Title, Phone Numbers (Work, Alternate, Mobile, Home), Email Addresses (Work, Alternate) Management All Staff Emergency Team Recovery Team 2. Compile Your External Contacts Information to include: Name, Title, Account Number, Phone Numbers (Work, Mobile, Home), Email Address Landlord Power Telecom Site Security Internet IT Services Insurance Other Vendors 3. Outline Your Emergency Communications Plan This will be your telecommunications chain for notifying specific individuals of an event. Designate a communication list manager to monitor responses and contact backup staff as necessary. Internal Communication Tree External Communication Tree
4. Outline Your Backup System Description Store backups with the same level of security as your original data and establish a backup schedule that is frequent enough to ensure that if data is lost, it is acceptable foryour business to function. System Backup Strategy Backup Schedule In-House Servers In-House Desktops Laptops Mobile Devices Websites Email Voice Services Cloud Services Accounting Human Resources Sales and Marketing Core Business Apps
5. Perform Risk Planning Examine the level of possible business disruption for each type of disaster, as well as the likelihood to occur near your business. Revise the list based on disasters common to your area. Take action around remediating by priority (to calculate priority, multiply probability rating times risk rating). Potential Disaster Probability Impact Priority Description Of Potential Rating Rating Consequences & Remedial Actions Earthquake Flood Fire Tornado Electrical storms Act of terrorism Act of sabotage Electrical power failure Loss of communications network services Probability & Priority: 1=Very High, 5=Very Low Impact: 1=Total destruction, 5=Minor annoyance
6. List Emergency Response Actions Triggering events list - Make a list of key trigger issues that would lead to activation of the Disaster Recovery Plan (ex: total loss of all communications or power, flooding of premises, loss of building) Evacuation assembly points - Identify primary and alternate assembly areas for when premises need to be evacuated Physical safety check- Administer first aid and seek medical attention for any injured person following a disaster. New safety issues may be also created after the disaster such as washed out roads, contaminated water, damaged electrical wiring and slippery floors. Emergency Response Team (ERT) notifications - This team provides the initial response to the disaster and should decide which elements of the disaster recovery plan should be activated. They will notify employees and allocate responsibilities and activities as required. Staff and family notifications - Immediate family members of an employee should be quickly notified in the event of a situation which would cause concern, such as hospitalization of injured persons. Recovery Team notifications - The team will be contacted and assembled by the ERT. The recovery team should set specific deadlines for establishing facilities for an emergency level of service, key services, and business as usual within a certain number of hours after the incident. Reports to ERT. Temporary communications - Make plans for using cell phones, landlines, and personal email accounts when your main communications tools are down. Temporary facilities - Evaluate which recovery work site best fits your business processes: Hot sites require monthly subscriber fees to an independent vendor for a fully operational facility, Cold sites are equipped to support your businesses s own systems, Mobile recovery centers, Temporary facilities onsite (tents, modular buildings, etc.), and Telecommuting. Internet and voice connectivity - Develop a detailed process for emergency recovery of Internet and voice communications. Obtain replacement equipment - Set procedures and lead times for replacement equipment. Essential system and data restoration - Identify essential system and data to recover business functions and processes based on business impact. Plan the recovery environment (servers, storage, operations systems, etc. ), people, processes, and tools needed to reproduce your production environment. Full data restoration - Identify steps required for full data restoration and recovery. 7. Train Your Staff Training is essential to ensure that everyone knows what to do when there is an emergency or disruption of business operations. Review protective actions for life safety and conduct drills. Members of emergency response and recovery teams should be trained so they are familiar with their role and responsibilities as defined within the plans.
8. Update Your Plan Regularly Update backup plan whenever adding new systems Review disaster plan quarterly Notes