An effective cybersecurity strategy relies on three interconnected components: regular backups, a disaster recovery plan, and a formal incident response plan. These elements ensure a digital business can prepare for, mitigate, and recover from a range of disruptive events, from natural disasters to cyberattacks. 

Backups: The foundation of recovery

Data backups are the most critical component, as they are copies of data and systems used for restoration after a loss. Your backup strategy directly influences how quickly you can recover and how much data you stand to lose. 

Best practices for backups

• Implement the 3-2-1 rule: This industry standard dictates keeping at least three copies of your data, using two different types of storage (e.g., local hard drive and cloud storage), with one copy stored off-site.
• Choose the right backup methods: A combination of backup types can optimize for speed and storage:
  • Full backup: Copies all selected data and is the simplest and fastest to restore, but it is time-consuming and requires the most storage.
  • Incremental backup: Backs up only the data that has changed since the last backup (full or incremental), which is fast and uses less storage but can have a lengthy restore process.
  • Differential backup: Backs up all data that has changed since the last full backup, balancing faster restores than incremental backups with less storage than full backups.
• Use immutable backups: Store a copy of your backups in an immutable format that cannot be altered or deleted. This protects against ransomware attacks that may attempt to compromise your backups as well.
• Automate and test: Automate your backup schedule to eliminate human error and ensure consistency. Regularly test your ability to restore data from your backups to verify their integrity. 

Disaster recovery (DR) plans

A DR plan is a documented set of procedures for restoring IT infrastructure and data following a catastrophic event. It is a subset of a broader business continuity plan, which addresses the continuation of all critical business functions. 

Key steps for a DR plan

• Define recovery objectives: Establish your Recovery Time Objective (RTO)—the maximum acceptable downtime—and your Recovery Point Objective (RPO)—the maximum tolerable data loss. These metrics will determine the technology and resources you need.
• Conduct a business impact analysis (BIA): Work with key stakeholders to identify and prioritize critical business operations and the IT systems that support them.
• Document and distribute: Create a clear, concise, and accessible document. Ensure copies are stored in multiple locations, including securely off-site, so they can be accessed even if your main office is destroyed.
• Specify roles and responsibilities: Clearly assign roles for the disaster recovery team. The plan should also identify alternates in case a primary team member is unavailable.
• Test and maintain regularly: Conduct drills and tabletop exercises at least once a year to test the plan's effectiveness, train personnel, and identify any gaps. 

Incident response (IR) plans

An IR plan is a proactive roadmap detailing the procedures for handling a cybersecurity incident, such as a data breach or malware attack. The goal is to minimize damage and recovery time by guiding actions during the incident.