IT disaster recovery relates to a company’s ability to regain and retain information that was lost in its IT infrastructure during events such as a natural disaster, accidental loss or a cyber-attack. In a world where increasing volumes of classified and personal data are stored online, it is more important than ever for a business to have a secure plan in case of these events. Whether you run a small business, public service or large corporate firm, it is important for you to be across any myths around IT disaster recovery.

Here, we break down five of the most common misconceptions and discuss how Baker Tilly Staples Rodway’s Taranaki IT department can help you, regardless of where you're based across New Zealand.

Myth 1: The chance of an IT disaster affecting my business is very low

This is a common misconception held by many businesses. There is always the risk of an IT disaster, regardless of the size of your business or its perceived immunity against online attacks. Every company, therefore, should have a secure network in place to protect its information, as well as a reliable plan to retrieve said information following an IT disaster.

Myth 2: A successful disaster exercise means I am protected

Even after running thousands of simulations, there is still a chance that your system has unidentified weak points that could result in an IT disaster. By definition, a disaster is something unprecedented and unexpected. This means that no matter how well you are prepared there is always risk of IT infiltration.

Myth 3: Our data is safe, as it is ‘backed up’

When data is backed up, it simply means that another copy of the data is made and stored in a different area in the computing system. Just because you have two or more copies of data, that does not mean you are impervious to data loss and IT disasters. Backing up data is a positive step, not a magic wand, and it’s important to regularly check that you can retrieve files from back-up.

Myth 4: Putting our data recovery services in the hands of another company is not safe

Some companies specialise in data recovery and IT disasters, with experts who have trained for these exact scenarios. Although you may think that your IT department is well-trained and prepared for such events, a specialist company is commercially obligated to help protect your data and ensure recovery where required.   

Myth 5: A recovery plan does not require updates

When developing a recovery plan, it is vital to continually update the program you rely upon for IT infrastructure protection. There are constant developments and new ways to undertake cyber attacks, so an outdated recovery plan may not have the capacity to do its job.

How Baker Tilly Staples Rodway can help

Baker Tilly Staples Rodway’s Taranaki IT team develops robust plans to help customers deal with disaster recovery. It can help you develop a plan as well as assist with efficient data restoration. 

While we now have you thinking about IT disaster recovery, check our tips for protecting your business against hackers here.

• For more information about our IT disaster recovery planning contact +64 6 757 3155 and ask for IT or if you’d benefit from our accounting or business advisory services, contact your nearest Baker Tilly Staples Rodway office.