DISASTER RECOVERY Meaning and
Definition
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Disaster recovery refers to a set of procedures and processes in place to alleviate and restore functionality to an organization's technological infrastructure following a catastrophic event. It involves the steps taken to minimize the impact of an unexpected event that compromises critical systems, data, or operations. The main goal of disaster recovery is to minimize downtime, recover lost or corrupted data, and resume normal business operations as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Disasters can come in various forms, such as natural calamities like earthquakes, floods, or fires, as well as human-made incidents like cyberattacks, power outages, or equipment failures. A well-designed disaster recovery plan takes into account all potential threats and outlines the necessary steps to recover the affected systems. This typically includes data backups, redundant hardware and software systems, real-time monitoring, and regular testing and validation of the recovery procedures.
Key elements of a disaster recovery plan may involve identifying critical systems and personnel, establishing backup and recovery methodologies, setting recovery time objectives (RTO) and recovery point objectives (RPO), and defining communication channels during and after a disaster. It is essential for organizations to regularly review and update their disaster recovery plans to account for changes in technology, business processes, and potential new threats.
Overall, disaster recovery is a crucial component of risk management and ensures the resilience of businesses and organizations in the face of unexpected events that could otherwise lead to significant financial losses, operational disruptions, or reputational damage.
Etymology of DISASTER RECOVERY
The word "disaster" originated from the Greek word "disástron", which means "bad star" or "ill-starred event". In ancient astrology, the positions and movements of stars were believed to influence human affairs, and a calamitous event was often attributed to the negative influence of certain stars. The term gradually evolved to refer to any unfortunate or catastrophic event.
"Recovery", on the other hand, comes from the Latin word "recuperare", which means "to regain" or "to get back". It implies the process of returning to a previous state or regaining something that was lost or damaged.
The combination of "disaster" and "recovery" in the context of IT and business continuity planning emerged in the latter half of the 20th century.
