Survive And Thrive: Building A Cybersecurity Disaster Recovery Plan That Works

Your company’s digital infrastructure has the potential to crumble in the blink of an eye. Leaders might know this but don’t want to face it. With disasters, it’s almost always the question of “when” not and “if”. 

While digital interconnectedness propels us forward with unprecedented efficiency, it also exposes us to vulnerabilities that tend to strike without a warning. So what do you do? You need to plan and prepare for your post-disaster scene. 

This is where a cybersecurity disaster recovery plan comes in. If implemented well, it has the potential to bring your business back from the brink of digital oblivion. In this blog, we explain how to build a plan that protects your business when a disruptive event is as minor as an equipment failure.

TL;DR 

Your business is a sitting duck for power outages, natural disasters, and any other forms of cyber attacks. A solid disaster recovery planning strategy is your best bet against these unplanned incidents.

A disaster recovery strategy incorporates the following elements, risk assessment, recovery time objectives and recovery point objectives, backup and data replication, incident response procedures, and communication plans.

A good disaster recovery plan is not just about dodging business disruptions, it is about bouncing back stronger.

What is a cybersecurity disaster recovery plan?

A cybersecurity disaster recovery plan, often referred to as DRP, is a strategy that outlines how a company would respond to, mitigate, and recover from a cybersecurity incident. Rather than a document, think of it as a framework that encompasses procedures, protocols, and resources designed to contain the damage. 

Anyone’s defenses can be penetrated, so the idea is to build resilience. Instead of focusing 

solely on prevention, the plan  serves as a roadmap once chaos ensues. 

Beyond the technical controls, it has the full spectrum of your organization’s response measures:

1. Immediate incident response procedures 
2. Communication protocols for stakeholders and other parties that could be impacted 
3. Steps for data recovery and system restoration 
4. Methods for analyzing the security incident to prevent such future occurrences 
5. Strategies for maintaining critical businesses during and after recovery 

It transforms theoretical preparation into practical executable actions. A cybersecurity disaster recovery plan is your organization’s life insurance policy. 

How do you create a cybersecurity disaster recovery plan? 

Crafting a good cybersecurity disaster recovery plan requires foresight and precision, and the plan we have outlined aims to do just that. Without a plan, you expose yourself to potential financial losses, and the reputational damage caused could be irreversible.

Here are three key steps that you should undertake to have a successful post-disaster bounce-back

Step 1: Preparation before the event 

Creating a CDRP usually begins with conducting risk assessments and identifying critical applications and functions of your organization. You need to:

Identify critical assets and systems

Begin by evaluating the possible effects of different threats. Create a risk matrix to help you prioritize tasks according to their urgency and severity by identifying and evaluating these risks. Take remedial action to reduce vulnerabilities and fortify your defenses in accordance with the gaps that have been found.

Create an asset inventory of your entire IT system

Draft the list of all the hardware and software assets and data. To guarantee a thorough understanding of the architecture of your system, document every aspect of the network infrastructure, including configurations. And, chart the data flows and interdependencies among systems to determine critical connections and potential vulnerabilities.

Establish Recovery Time Objectives and Recovery Point Objectives

Determine the appropriate downtime for every crucial business function to guarantee the least amount of disturbance during incidents. Define the maximum tolerable data loss for every system as well as exact data recovery levels to safeguard crucial business operations.

Backup your data and create a replication strategy

Implement strong backup systems in place to protect your data, and plan frequent backups to guarantee consistency. To ensure dependability, evaluate the restoration procedure and the integrity of your backups on a regular basis. To further safeguard your company’s data, think about using a cloud-based backup solution for increased resilience.

Define and designate clear roles and responsibilities

If possible, form a dedicated disaster recovery team to manage incidents effectively. In cases of limited resources, overlapping roles and responsibilities can be assigned to ensure coverage. Additionally, establish a clear chain of command to streamline decision-making and ensure accountability during recovery efforts.

Create an incident response procedure for different types of cyber incidents.

Ensure your incident response plan includes detailed procedures for containment, eradication, and recovery. Containment focuses on limiting the spread of an incident, eradication removes the threat from your systems, and recovery restores normal operations while preventing future occurrences.

Set up alternating processing sites

Identify and prepare backup locations to support critical operations in the event of a disruption. Ensure that each site is equipped with the necessary hardware, software, and connectivity to seamlessly maintain business functions during emergencies.

Vendor and third-party vendor management

Identify the key vendors involved in your recovery process and clearly define their roles and responsibilities. Regularly review and update service agreements and SLAs to ensure they align with your recovery objectives and address any changes in your business needs or vendor capabilities.

You should also include a feedback mechanism to incorporate lessons learnt from drills or real situations. 

Step 2: Building on the insights gained from step 1 

While the events may differ, the skeleton of what needs to be done during a disaster remains the same. Here are the different kinds of cyber attacks:

1. Ransomware attacks
2. DDOS attacks
3. Data breaches
4. Insider threats
5. Phishing and social engineering attacks
6. Supply chain attacks
7. Zero-day exploits 
8. Man-in-the-middle attacks 
9. SQL injection 
10. Cross-site scripting
11. Cryptojacking
12. IoT attacks

Based on the risk assessment and threat landscape analysis that you made, here’s how the plan should follow 

1. Prioritize your responses based on the critical strategies and systems identified in Step 1
2. Develop specific protocols for the most likely potential risks and the high-impact threats.
3. Create escalation procedures based on incident security levels 
4. Ensure that the objectives that you have set for the RTOs and RPOs are realistic and are based on your industry.
5. Detailed are specific containment measures and eradication steps for each. 
6. Allocate resources for each, human, technical, and financial. 
7. Detail out the calendar for regular testing drills.
8. Include templates for mandatory breach notification. 
9. Specify procedures for evidence preservation and chain of custody.
10. Include a post-incident analysis framework by specifying how lessons will be incorporated and how disasters as such would be mitigated.  

God forbid you face a ransomware attack; here’s what you should do. 

Recognize signs of a potential cyberattack and confirm the nature of the threat. Identify the systems affected, the specific malware or ransomware strain, and assess the possible impact on data and operations

Once you have detected the attack, prioritize isolation of the affected systems to further prevent its spread. Simultaneously, trigger the incident response plan and preserve critical evidence. This first phase ends after a thorough assessment of the attack’s extent and impact. This includes identifying the impacted systems, identifying the particular ransomware strain, and assessing the possibility of data loss and operational disruptions.

We move on to containment measures, which involve implementing network segmentation, disabling all compromised accounts, and updating the firewall rules to block malicious communications. Concurrently, we execute a well-structured communication protocol. 

After that, the strategy should preserve business continuity by turning on manual workarounds and alternative processing methods for crucial operations. A thorough data recovery procedure that uses safe, offline backups and confirms data integrity before complete restoration comes next. 

Eliminating malware is critical and requires patching exploited vulnerabilities, running through system scans, and deploying up-to-date anti-malware software. The next steps in system restoration are to rebuild the compromised systems using fresh images, restore confirmed data, and put stronger security measures in place. 

Any worth-its-salt plan needs to double down on prevention. We’re talking about modern endpoint protection that detects but actively pursues potential threats, strict adherence to keeping systems patched and up to date, and a foolproof backup method known as the 3-2-1 approach (three copies, two different media, one offsite).

Keep at least three copies of your data, store the copies on two different types of media, and keep one copy offsite. For instance, you may have a backup copy of your data stored on an external drive in your workplace, a copy on your computer’s hard drive, and a copy stored in a cloud storage service. In this manner, you are protected against malfunctioning devices, nearby calamities, and even significant regional problems.

Step 3: Recovering from the incident 

This phase is where the rubber meets the road. After you have contained the threat, it is time to get your system backed up and running. 

1. Prioritize restoration: Since not all systems are equally critical, focus on getting the ones that matter the most done quickly. 
2. Keep everyone in the know: Designate a point person to handle the communications. 
3. Reset, not patch: Instead of patching up potentially compromised systems, reinstall your applications and system software. You don’t want a lingering infection. 
4. Prioritize recovery efforts: Before you plug anything back into your production network, scan every restored application with up-to-date security tools. 
5. Validate and test methods: Gradually reintroduce systems to your network, starting with core infrastructure and moving outward. 
6. Document and analyze the incident: Once you are out of the woods, gather your team and do a post-war analysis. Some questions that can start the conversation are:
   1. How did this happen?
   2. What worked well in the response strategy?
   3. What were the weak points?
   4. Anything you could have done differently to prevent or minimize downtime? 

The goal of effective recovery is to return to normal and do so with greater strength. Every event is a chance to strengthen your defenses and better your reaction.  

We’ve seen that managing a cyber event from the start to the end of full recovery calls for a well-planned strategy. However, what distinguishes a plan that is only passably safe from one that protects an organization? Its basis holds the solution.

The foundation of a strong cybersecurity disaster recovery plan comprises certain essential elements. 

Key elements of cybersecurity disaster recovery plan

The critical components of a good cybersecurity disaster recovery plan go beyond technical measures, encompassing a holistic approach that touches every aspect of your organization. 

1. Clearly defined roles and duties: An established team structure is necessary for efficient incident response:
   1. Assign responsibilities to an incident response team, such as communications officer, technical lead, and incident commander.
   2. Provide a clear chain of command for making decisions in an emergency.
   3. Establish escalation protocols for various incident severity levels.
2. Comprehensive data recovery and backup techniques: Data resilience is critical for recovery:
   1. Put into practice a 3-2-1 backup plan (3 copies, 2 distinct media, 1 offshore).
   2. Test backup integrity and restoration procedures regularly.
   3. Set Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs) and Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) for essential systems.
   4. Take into account cloud-based backup options for increased durability.
3. Incident response plans:
   1. Protocols for detection and analysis
   2. Containment tactics to prevent the situation from getting worse
   3. Eradication techniques to eliminate risk
   4. Procedures for system and data recovery
   5. Guidelines for post-incident activities
4. Business continuity plans: Ascertain that vital functions can carry on in the event of an emergency:
   1. Determine the key systems and operations of the business.
   2. Create workarounds for manual processing and alternative methods.
   3. Provide standards on when to activate business continuity strategies.
5. Compliance with laws and regulations: Verify that the plan satisfies all prerequisites:
   1. Recognize the applicable jurisdictions’ data protection and breach notification rules.
   2. Describe how to preserve evidence for future judicial actions.
   3. Legal advice should be sought regarding liability and disclosure requirements.

The hours and brain power spent creating a disaster recovery plan are well worth the effort. While quantifying the ROI of cybersecurity measures can be challenging, we must realize that we’re dealing with a different kind of currency altogether. And that is trust. Every measure that you take to fortify your defenses makes your organization more trustworthy and credible to all stakeholders, internal or external. 

Benefits of cybersecurity disaster recovery plan

While most people think of a disaster recovery plan (DRP) as a way to minimize downtime and restore operations after an attack, there are several other, often overlooked, benefits that make it an essential part of any organization’s cybersecurity strategy. 

1. A well-structured plan ensures that, even during an attack, you do not violate any regulatory compliance frameworks. It ensures that you are following the requirements laid down by the industry standards and that your data is protected.
2. A disaster recovery plan also helps you stay compliant with regulatory requirements like ISO 27001, which mandates having such a plan in place. 
3. Clear protocols and a well-defined structure empower you and your team to make quick decisions during high-stress situations, reducing decision paralysis in critical moments. 
4. Creating a plan often leads to a more transparent relationship with vendors. 
5. A comprehensive plan can give you an edge regarding cyber insurance. You can leverage the plan for favorable terms, potentially reducing premiums and increasing coverage. 
6. The planning process often uncovers silos and, if remediated, can lead to an increase in operational efficiency. 

Managing compliance requirements can often feel overwhelming. This is where Sprinto steps in, turning what used to be a cumbersome task into a straightforward process.

Sprinto offers a clear path to meeting standards like ISO 27001, which often require having a disaster recovery plan in place. Instead of just giving you a checklist, Sprinto provides pre-built templates and a guided process, making it easy to get everything in order. This way, you’re not just compliant—you’re ready for anything that comes your way.

Wrapping up

Cyber threats lurk around every corner. Your disaster recovery process should not be some manual on the shelf; it should be your weapon against the chaos of an unplanned incident. 

From on-site backups to cloud service backups, modern disaster recovery solutions offer a buffet of options to keep your business going, come hell or high water.

Your strategy needs to evolve as your business progresses. From regular drills to lessons learned from a close call to whatever your next critical step is, you need to sta