As your business grows and becomes more advanced, so does the potential for something to go wrong with it. Whether the threat stems from weather, an accidental system malfunction or a targeted attack by criminals, it’s important to ask yourself: If a disaster was to strike my business, would I be ready?

A disaster recovery plan (DRP) – also commonly called a business continuity plan (BCP) – is a detailed listing of how an organization is set up to deal with potential disasters. A DRP consists of the precautions taken by your company to ensure the effects of a disaster will be minimized and that you will be able to either maintain or quickly resume all critical functions.

Generally, disaster recovery planning involves analyzing business processes and continuity needs as well as a focus on disaster prevention. Obviously, there are natural disasters (tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, etc.) that just aren’t preventable, but preplanning helps you tighten up areas that might have been destroyed had you not looked ahead.

Disaster recovery planning is especially important given the complexity of modern-day technology. Security threats have never been more prevalent, and data losses and service interruptions can have serious consequences for your business. Take precautions and be sure to partner with a trusted IT provider if you don’t have the skills or knowledge to deal with technological threats on your own.

Also, keep in mind that when it comes to disaster recovery plans, simply having one isn’t enough. You also need to test various scenarios to ensure your plan works as expected. If there are holes or critical areas of your plan that need to be reworked, it’s better to become aware of them during a harmless test than during an actual business emergency.

There’s no doubt about it – having a disaster recovery plan is a fundamental responsibility of every organization in today’s day and age. And the more effort you put into it now, the easier the recovery will be. Equip your business for success in 2020 and prepare or review your disaster recovery plan now.