A disaster recovery plan is a written plan that describes the steps an organization would take to restore its computer operations in the event of a disaster. It typically contains four components: an emergency plan, a backup plan, a recovery plan, and a test plan.
Amateur Sports League You are the new manager of a nonprofit amateur soccer league. The league’s board of directors asked you to develop a disaster recovery plan for its main office. The main office consists of a small storefront with two back rooms: one room is the office, with all of the electronic equipment and paper files; the other is for storage of non-electronic equipment. The staff members — you, an administrative assistant, and an information technology (IT) specialist — work in the office. The electronic equipment in the office includes two desktops, a laptop, an external hard drive for backups, a wireless router, and two printers. In addition, each staff member has a smartphone.
Do This: Choose either a natural or man-made disaster. Create a disaster recovery plan for the Amateur Sports League that outlines emergency strategies, backup procedures, recovery steps, and a test plan. Assign staff members' roles for each phase of the disaster recovery plan.
Full Answer Section
- Communication Plan:
- Establish a communication plan to inform staff, volunteers, and members of the league about the situation.
- Designate a spokesperson to communicate with the media.
Backup Plan
- Data Backup:
- Implement a regular backup schedule for all electronic data, including documents, spreadsheets, and databases.
- Store backups on an external hard drive and in a secure off-site location (e.g., cloud storage).
- Hardware Backup:
- Maintain a list of all hardware and software.
- Consider purchasing insurance to cover replacement costs.
Recovery Plan
- Damage Assessment:
- Assess the extent of damage to the office and equipment.
- Prioritize recovery efforts based on the severity of damage.
- Temporary Workspace:
- Establish a temporary workspace, either at a remote location or within the same building if possible.
- Ensure essential equipment and supplies are available at the temporary workspace.
- Data Recovery:
- Restore data from backups.
- Test restored data to ensure integrity.
- Hardware Replacement:
- Purchase and set up replacement hardware.
- Configure new hardware and software.
- Network Restoration:
- Reconfigure network settings and restore internet connectivity.
- Office Restoration:
- Clean and repair the damaged office space.
- Move equipment and supplies back to the office.
Test Plan
- Regular Backup Tests:
- Conduct regular tests of the backup process to ensure data integrity.
- Simulate data recovery scenarios to identify potential issues.
- Emergency Drill:
- Conduct periodic fire drills to test evacuation procedures and communication plans.
- Tabletop Exercises:
- Conduct tabletop exercises to discuss potential disaster scenarios and response strategies.
Staff Roles and Responsibilities
- Manager:
- Oversees the entire disaster recovery process.
- Coordinates with emergency services and insurance companies.
- Makes decisions regarding temporary workspace, equipment replacement, and staff assignments.
- Administrative Assistant:
- Assists with evacuation procedures and emergency contacts.
- Helps with data backup and restoration.
- Provides administrative support during the recovery process.
- IT Specialist:
- Manages IT systems and network infrastructure.
- Restores data and configures new hardware.
- Provides technical support to staff during the recovery process.
By implementing this disaster recovery plan, the Amateur Sports League can minimize the impact of a fire on its operations and ensure a swift recovery.