4 Disaster Recovery Tips for Oklahoma CPAs

The list of potential disasters that could befall an Oklahoma CPA firm is intimidating: flood, fire, earthquake, tornado, system crashes, theft, pandemics, and even stolen mobile devices with critical company data.

Having a disaster recovery plan in place is mandatory these days, and how it is implemented makes the difference between a minor glitch and a permanent failure.

This article contains four tips for implementing and carrying out a disaster recovery plan that will allow a CPA firm to resume operations with minimal losses and downtime.

Put a Solid Plan Together

Putting together a disaster recovery plan is the hardest part. There are so many potential disaster scenarios to anticipate, analyze, and prepare strategies for.

First, identify the critical files and applications that are needed to keep the firm running. Examples include access to email, applications, and databases. Then determine how much downtime the company can afford before clients begin to panic, and business is compromised.

Other factors that need to be considered include how to notify employees, and how to communicate with customers if the recovery time takes longer than expected.

Test the Recovery Plan

A poorly tested plan can pose bigger problems than no plan at all. The only way to determine the efficacy of a disaster recovery strategy in an emergency situation is to test it repeatedly, rigorously, and in conditions that simulate an actual catastrophe. Ensure that all tests include verification controls to assess how successfully the plan stood up to various emergencies.

Back Up and Store Critical Data Offsite

If a catastrophe is large enough to threaten a firm’s operations, it will likely make access to on-site data difficult if not impossible. To ensure business continuity, transfer files to an offsite storage center using a secure and encrypted method.

All firms should back up data at least once a day, but busier companies that handle more files should consider multiple times per day.

Establish Redundancy

Another essential component of a CPA firm’s disaster recovery plan is setting up redundant servers for all mission-critical data and providing a way to access that data if the regular channels go down. Having redundant servers in place at a secure, disaster-proof offsite location can make it possible to be back up and running in minutes instead of hours or days.

Bottom Line

Any business can be compromised by an emergency. Anticipating all types of disasters and preparing for them is a must, as is routine testing of the technologies used to back up, store, and restore data.

A coherent and solidly structured disaster recovery plan will allow Oklahoma CPAs to rebound quickly from an unforeseen crisis, avoiding substantial business interruption and data loss.

 

What disaster recovery steps has your firm taken? Do you feel confident that it could quickly and efficiently resume business if an emergency arose? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments box below.

 

And to follow up on the tips introduced in this article, be sure to download your free Information Technology Guide for Oklahoma City CPAs.