Disaster Recovery as a Service: What It Is and Why Your Business Needs It
For all digital technology’s leaps and advancements since the turn of the decade, it’s easy to consider it with an air of infallibility, as this Great Untouchable and Powerful Thing. But we've since known better. Systems fail, get hacked, and even destroyed, if not via natural catastrophes, then by man-made disasters.
When we look at the news and see misfortunes from the other side of the world, we sometimes think, "That's probably not going to happen to me." But it’s this same thinking applied with the way we handle our data and security that just might be that one blind spot that can cost an entire business, the minuscule rip that causes the irreparable tear.
Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) means exactly as it sounds. It is a cloud computing and backup service model that replicates and hosts a business's applications and data on the onset or aftermath of a catastrophe to provide businesses a complete backup of their system. Say a huge thunderstorm barrel through your city; a power outage is experienced throughout. Your business can get back up on its feet with DRaaS, as it restores your data within hours by infrastructure in the cloud or an on-site server so you and your team can access your data and applications the way it was left just before the outage hit.
Disaster? It Can Mean Anything
Now, if you think this sounds too cautious, talking about security in apocalyptic terms, then think again. DRaaS does not just apply to natural and man-made catastrophes and disasters, but also well-calculated cyberattacks that can bring down a business's system for days.
We've seen this happen in the cyberattack against Colonial Pipeline last May, one of the largest pipeline systems in the United States, but it's important to remember that small businesses are no less spared from such catastrophes. We already know that 22% of small businesses have been targeted by cybercriminals, but did you know that only 28% of small businesses across the United States have a plan in place should they be attacked by cybercriminals? According to a survey by CNBC and Momentive on Aug. 10, 2021, 56% of America's small business owners said they are "not concerned about being the victim of a hack in the next 12 months." Among this figure, 24% said they were "not concerned at all" about hacks.
Meanwhile, of the 42% who said they were not concerned, only 13% described themselves as "very concerned." Fifty-nine percent of small business owners also said they can quickly resolve any cyberattack, while only 37% were not confident, and 11% were not confident at all. And yet, almost half of the 42% reported they have no plan in place in the event of a cyberattack.
What we want to avoid is the lack of a disaster plan. In one other report by CNBC on Sept. 16, 2017, around the time of Hurricane Harvey, it was reported that 40% of small businesses never recover from a disaster.
But, as we know, disasters aren’t just limited to hurricanes. Disaster, in this sense, can mean – for any business – anything that threatens the operations and security of the enterprise, from natural or man-made catastrophes to cyberattacks. We count cyberattacks as a disaster because cyberattacks, depending on their gravity, have the power to incapacitate a business for days at a time. Therefore, Disaster Recovery as a Service is crucial to have. We know, from the core, that it pays to be prepared for anything. There is no “overkill” in data security.
Types of Disaster Recovery as a Service
There are different types of DRaaS, so business owners have options to choose and personalize what kind of disaster plan they want for their business.
Self-Service DRaaS
If you are a small business and find that you can only invest conservatively on a DRaaS plan, consider self-service DRaaS, which may be the most affordable but also the lowest investment option. From its name "self-service," self-service DRaaS means the business itself will receive the tools necessary to carry out the disaster recovery plan and will be the one to test, monitor, and perform such hosting and replicating.
Assisted DRaaS
For assisted DRaaS, the business still has a certain level of control over the administration of disaster recovery backups and replication, but with consultation services at the ready from the DRaaS provider, so you aren't completely in the dark in its implementation. The DRaaS provider should be ready to assist should you stumble or have any kinks that need ironing out in implementing your disaster recovery plan.
Managed DRaaS
Last is Managed DRaas, which is the most comprehensive of the three (and the most expensive). With managed DRaaS, businesses don't have to worry about their disaster recovery responsibilities, as this is all shouldered and taken care of by the provider and its team of experts.
From this convenience, businesses get peace of mind and assurance of a guaranteed disaster recovery plan on the onset of an actual disaster, minus the pains and nuances involved in setting up one's disaster recovery plan.
Disaster Recovery as a Service with Uniserve IT Solutions
By trusting Uniserve to manage your disaster recovery plan, we promise, in return, lower costs (you'll only pay for what you truly need), faster recovery, and a secured backup guarantee.
We believe businesses should focus on what’s important. This is why we offer Disaster Recovery as a Service here at Uniserve IT Solutions, so your business can focus on its operations, while we take care of the technical issues for you behind the scenes. Contact Uniserve today to know more.