Disaster recovery: Are we doing enough?: Insight

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This story was printed from ZDNet Australia.
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Disaster recovery: Are we doing enough?

By Vivienne Fisher, ZDNet Australia
April 29, 2003
URL: http://www.zdnet.com.au/insight/soa/Disaster-recovery-Are-we-doing-enough-/0,139023731,120274043,00.htm

OPINION: IT managers know the ramifications of systems going down or data being lost. But are the cost factors holding IT professionals back from putting disaster recovery processes in place?

It doesn't take a natural disaster to bring down your systems. Power outages, electrical fires, hackers, and problems with backup are all among the reasons why companies consider implementing disaster recovery plans?

What would happen if your systems went down for an extended period of time? Has your IT department considered the implications of not looking at putting disaster recovery processes in place?

Everyone has heard the urban myths of large companies being brought to their knees by not having backup systems or plans in place. But in smaller Australian organisations it's easy to get into the 'it won't happen to me' mentality. Or the 'we're too busy to look at it now' scenario.

It's always going to be easier to put off planning when there are more immediate projects and technical problems to solve. Likewise, it's also easy to convince yourself that the chances your organisation will get hit by a disaster are slim.

I've also heard people refer to disaster recovery planning as being a business, rather than IT, issue. While the effects may extend to the business as a whole, does this mean that CIOs shouldn't have input or mindshare in the planning process?

IT professionals have unique perspectives on these types of issues. While disaster recovery planning may not be solely an IT issue, there is a strong technical element to it. Isn't it time that IT managers and CIOs stepped forward and said 'this is what we should be looking at' and 'this is why it's important to do now'?

What do you think about disaster recovery planning? Do you think IT professionals need to be more involved in these issues? Does your organisation have disaster recovery processes in place? Talkback below or e-mail us at edit@zdnet.com.au.