Business continuity planning is imperative. Your service provider, tasked with looking after your company’s IT, may have kept your business up and running for years now. However, that kind of longevity in developing continuity plans can result in some providers overlooking certain issues.
Here are five continuity planning pitfalls you need to look into.
Over-optimistic testing
The initial testing attempt is usually the most important. It’s when IT service providers can pinpoint possible weak points in the recovery plan. But, what usually happens is that they test the system in full. This results in them missing out specific points with too many factors overwhelming them all at once.
To avoid this, make sure that they test the system step by step.
Insufficient remote user licenses
A remote user license is given to you by your service provider. In case of a disaster, your employees can log in to a remote desktop software. However, a provider may only have a limited number of licenses. In some cases, more employees need access to the remote desktop software than a provider’s license can allow.
Lost digital IDs
When a disaster strikes, employees will usually need their digital IDs to log in to the remote system. Digital IDs are tied to an employee’s desktop, and when a desktop is being backed up, they are not automatically saved. As such, when they go back to using their ‘ready and restored’ desktop, they can’t access the system with their previous digital ID.
The absence of a communications strategy
IT service providers will use email to notify and communicate with you and your employees when a disaster happens. But, this form of communication may not always be reliable in certain cases like when the Internet is cut off. Third-party notification systems are available, but they are quite expensive. Some providers even sell them as a pricey add-on service.
Backups that require labored validation
After a system has been restored, you need to check whether the restoration is thorough and complete. This validation becomes a waste of time and effort when the log reports are not easy to compare. This usually happens when IT service providers use backup apps that do not come with their own log modules.
These are just some reasons why business continuity plans fail. It is important for you to be involved in any process that pertains to your company’s IT infrastructure. Just because you believe something works doesn’t necessarily mean that it works correctly.
If you have questions regarding your business continuity plan, get in touch with us today.