When you think about cybersecurity, your mind may not immediately jump to business continuity or disaster recovery (BCDR). It’s understandable. However, you may be surprised to learn how vital cybersecurity is to BCDR planning.
While BCDR plans are usually associated with floods, fire and natural disasters, they are increasingly being implemented to combat cyber attacks. With 1 in 5 businesses reporting a cyber incident, your business has more chance of being hacked than being damaged in a natural disaster.
With malware, ransomware and phishing on the rise, your business should be prepared to deal with potential cyber issues. If you’re serious about preparing your business for any eventuality, you need to include cybersecurity in your BCDR plans.
The Risk of Not Including Cybersecurity in BCDR Plans
As a business owner, you’ll understand the risks posed by ransomware, malware and phishing attacks on your operations. With the potential to cause significant disruption to all areas of your business, cyber attacks can lead to:
Loss of reputation – if your systems go down or are compromised, it will have a lasting impact on your reputation with customers and stakeholders.
Damage to trust – if you are hit by a significant cyber attack, your customers may lose trust in your ability to manage their sensitive information.
Financial impacts – if business can’t continue as usual due to a cybersecurity breach, it’s inevitable your organisation will suffer a financial loss.
Operational losses – if you’re managing a cyber attack it’s a given that you may lose data, suffer lost productivity, or face other significant operational losses.
Systems impacts – it may take a while for your systems to come back online after an attack and there may be ongoing issues with system integrity.
With so many potential risks to your business, it’s crucial that you include cybersecurity in your BCDR plans. As they say, failing to plan is planning to fail.
The Importance of Cybersecurity in BCDR Plans
There’s growing evidence that including cybersecurity in your BCDR planning will not only help protect your business from these risks but also get you up and running more quickly should you be targeted by a cyber attack.
A recent report published by Datto highlights the importance of including cybersecurity in BCDR plans. Their latest Global State of the Channel Ransomware Report revealed that businesses with BCDR plans in place were less likely to experience significant downtime from ransomware.
Without a plan to deal with a cyber event, your business will struggle to manage the threat and take longer to get back to business. Including cybersecurity in your BCDR planning will help minimise costs, protect data and ensure a timely response.
This is backed up with further statistics in Datto’s report. In the survey, 4 in 5 MSPs said that clients with BCDR plans recovered from cyber attacks within 24 hours. This is in contrast to the less than 1 in 5 MSPs who could say the same about clients without BCDR plans in place.
Including cybersecurity in your BCDR planning is now more important than ever before.
What to Include in Your BCDR Plans
To get the most from your planning, it’s important to include as much detail as possible so the document can be of the most use during a time of crisis. Cybersecurity information that should be listed in any BCDR plan includes:
List all critical apps – identify the main systems and applications that need immediate attention following a cyber attack. This will prioritise focus and resources during a crisis.
Note recovery time – highlight how long it will take to reboot and recover critical systems so quick decisions can be made around timing, support, and communication.
Identify workarounds – if the worst happens, what can the business do to workaround critical systems? Have a clear plan in place to minimise disruption.
Prioritise communication – work out who you need to contact following a cyber event, what they need to know and how you’ll keep them updated.
Including this critical information in your BCDR plans will mean you are prepared if something goes wrong. By proactively documenting your response to a cyber attack, you’ll spend less time scrambling and more time getting back to business.
Do you have your cybersecurity documentation in place and ready in case of an emergency? Get in touch with the experts at Trouble Free Computing Solutions to discover how we can help protect your business from harm. Call us on (02) 4911 9072 or contact us online to find out more.