How frequently should you test your Disaster Recovery strategy?

Creating a Disaster Recovery plan is essential, yet despite this fact, half of recovery plans are tested less than once a year.

Recent findings suggest that businesses still fail to realise that for a Disaster Recovery (DR) plan to be effective, it needs to be regularly tested. When creating its latest Infographic, CloudVelox uncovered that infrequent testing is actually putting businesses at substantial risk.

This information also correlates to DCS findings, where the team uncovered that 35% of Yorkshire businesses do not have a Disaster Recovery plan in place.

Why are companies not testing?

Industry experts suggest that anticipated costs are a major barrier to regular DR testing. These perceived costs can include consultancy fees, downtime, and reduced productivity while tests are underway. However, the expense of planning and testing is typically far outweighed by the potential cost of being unable to access critical data when an incident occurs. In other words, not testing is far more expensive in the long run.

The CloudVelox survey also found that 58% of IT departments lack the internal resources to carry out the necessary business continuity tests, while 34% of respondents considered the overall process too complex. For many organisations, balancing day-to-day IT responsibilities alongside Disaster Recovery testing can seem overwhelming, but failing to do so puts the business at serious risk.

Frequent testing

While there is no one-size-fits-all rule for how often a DR plan should be tested, it is clear that the more frequently a company tests, the better prepared it will be in the event of a disruption. Experts recommend that businesses carry out a thorough cost-benefit analysis to determine the right testing strategy, taking into account Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs) and Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs). This approach ensures companies invest in a plan that aligns with the value of their data and the criticality of their operations, avoiding both over- and under-investment.

In summary, regular Disaster Recovery testing is not a luxury, it’s essential. By understanding the risks, planning strategically, and committing to frequent testing, businesses can significantly improve resilience and minimise the impact of unexpected incidents.

Get in touch with DCS today to review your Disaster Recovery strategy, discuss testing options, or schedule an assessment. Our team of experts can help ensure your business is protected and ready for anything.