Not having a plan isn’t an option anymore. There is a real risk of major impacts to your business if your strategies for business continuity and disaster recovery aren’t aligned. The first few months of 2020 have already brought a host of new challenges, from discussions of emerging types of cyber security risks to the realities of planning for business resiliency in the face of an unexpected global virus. It underscores the reality that the security and business resiliency landscape is constantly evolving—and IT and business leaders need strategies, tools, and talent to help them and their data centers adapt quickly.
Just as new threats and challenges emerge, there are updated services and products on the market that offer possible solutions. 2020 has brought a host of new threats—and with them opportunities for business leaders to update their disaster recovery and business resiliency strategies to protect themselves from current and future threats. Here’s a closer look at some of the key trends to watch over the next three quarters.
Updating Your Business Continuity Plans
The cornerstone of security and business resiliency is adapting your plans to the changing landscape. For example, with the impact of coronavirus not widely known, many firms are planning how to continue operations in the face of a widespread outbreak, the potential for temporarily shutting down specific physical locations, and other possible scenarios.
Bloomberg reports, “JPMorgan’s leaders have been double-checking contingency plans to be sure the firm can continue to serve customers in the event of widespread disruptions. For the consumer bank, testing the telecommuting policy on a sampling of employees across businesses can ensure kinks are worked out before the plan needs to be rolled out more broadly in the event of a pandemic.”
Business leaders who haven’t recently assessed their risk profiles, technological responses, and service provider needs are taking a closer look to determine whether they’re prepared. In some cases, this may involve identifying an experienced partner that can help assess risks and current methodologies and navigate the sophisticated range of options on the market today. The biggest trend, and takeaway, is that this is an area of your business that needs both immediate and ongoing attention.
The Need for Cyber Security and Disaster Recovery Solutions for Diverse Technology Expands
In its 2020 round-up of annual cyber security predictions, Infosec Institute notes “The exponential increase in the number of IoT devices, along with the 5G networks roll out, will dramatically increase the number of attacks against smart devices on a large scale.”
The Internet of Things and other technologies have infiltrated the business world. As businesses adopt a wider range of smart devices, customer experiences, and edge computing configurations, there’s a need to consider cyber security and disaster recovery solutions.
For example, CSO has reported that networked printers are among the most vulnerable end points. Organizations are taking steps to assess whether they have adequate plans in place to support connected technologies, and many are looking to solutions such as built-in services that automate security support. As the importance of these technologies for routine business processes and customer experiences continues to escalate, it will be critical to have plans in place to protect them from interference and bring them back online after a physical or virtual disaster.
AI and Automation Change Cyber Security and Disaster Recovery
There’s a talent shortage among cyber security experts, and organizations of all sizes need access to real-time expertise for multiple scenarios, whether it’s identifying a threat or getting back online after one is detected. As a result, there’s been an increasing trend toward solutions that use AI and automation to gather intelligence about threats and implement steps to end attacks, viruses, or ransomware before they can take hold.
According to research from Capgemini, 63% of organizations plan to deploy AI-based solutions targeting network security and other needs. One of the core considerations is how organizations can leverage emerging tools and services that incorporate machine learning and automation in their cyber security, disaster recovery, and resiliency planning. More than ever before, automated tools can help protect your IT infrastructure and develop solutions that are customized to your organization’s unique needs—from the network to the data center and beyond.
Disaster-Recovery-as-a-Service Moves into the Spotlight
Whether they’re the result of a natural disaster or a manmade event, organizations face the possibility of issues that take critical applications offline or imperil key data. At the data center level, having a reliable solution in place gives you the peace of mind to move forward regardless of what threats may appear. In many ways, Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) has evolved to address the shift that businesses feel, blending both disaster recovery and business continuity into resiliency planning.
DRaaS offers businesses the opportunity to consult with experts who can identify business-critical processes, applications, and data. Based on their knowledge, they can then put together a solution that incorporates a range of technologies, support, and services to offer robust data center protections. With a DRaaS solution in place, you’ll also have the support of experienced talent if your operations unexpectedly go offline.It’s time to pay attention and update your business resiliency, cyber security, and disaster recovery strategies. Take the time now to identify risks, opportunities, and solutions that can keep your business operating and resilient through any challenges that lie ahead. Whether you need to refresh an older plan or address new challenges such as the need to develop a plan to protect IoT solutions, Connection is here to help. We’ve worked with a wide variety of companies to help assess, prepare for, and mitigate risk. Each company is different, and Connection will focus on your specific needs to ensure you find the strategy that’s right for you. And if you need help, please call or visit us today.
Liz Alton
Liz Alton is a B2B technology and digital marketing writer and content strategist. She has worked with a variety of brands including Google, Twitter, Adobe, Oracle, and HP, and written for publications including Forbes. She is a regular contributor to Connected, Connection’s official blog.
