Implementing the right disaster recovery protocols for your cybersecurity can help mitigate devastating damage in the event of a data breach.
However, recent studies have shown that 51% of companies don’t have a disaster recovery plan in place. That even includes managed disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS).
Before choosing a DRaaS provider, you need to know that the integrity of your cybersecurity posture is being put in the right hands. It’s vital to find one that addresses your specific cybersecurity needs and puts your company’s best interests first.
Below, we’ll cover what separates the best DRaaS providers from the ones you should avoid and how a great DRaas vendor can yield several benefits for your organization.
Choosing the DRaaS Solutions That Work for You
Before evaluating different DRaaS providers, you should know the different DRaaS solutions available.
Self-Service: With self-service DRaaS, the customer is solely responsible for disaster recovery planning, testing, and administration. This doesn’t mean the vendor doesn’t help, however. The DRaaS provider is relatively hands-off with this style of DRaaS but does assist by providing cloud services, such as backup management and hosting.
Assisted Service: Assisted DRaaS delegates the customer to conducting and implementing most of the disaster recovery planning. However, the vendor does offer their resources, advice, and services that allow disaster recovery planning to be implemented smoother and faster than it would in a self-service DRaaS model.
Managed Service: Managed DRaaS puts the disaster recovery planning process in the hands of a third-party group of cybersecurity professionals. External parties are responsible for disaster recovery.
If you choose this approach, it’s vital to establish trust with the right DRaaS vendor. Managed DRaaS is an excellent option for those who don’t have the time or resources to spend on disaster recovery planning in-house. It’s also ideal for those who don’t want to manually handle the many complexities of disaster recovery.
The Benefits of Choosing Managed Service DRaaS
There are several benefits of managed DRaaS, including the following:
- Improved data security and management
- Decreased cost and, potentially, increased ROI
- Greater scalability for the expansion of your business
- Reduced downtime in the event of a cyber attack
- Boosted operational efficiency
- Diminished workload for your IT staff
- Stronger customer relationships and satisfaction
- And much more
How To Choose the Best DRaaS Vendors
Many prominent tech companies, such as Amazon, Microsoft Azure, and Google, offer some form of DRaaS, but that doesn’t mean you must (or should) automatically opt for the big names.
Here are the five considerations for choosing between DRaaS providers to find the one that best fits your needs.
5 Key Considerations for Choosing Managed DRaaS Providers
1. Service Level Agreements (SLAs) That Work for You
When seeking the right DRaaS vendor for you, the first consideration to make is what service level agreements (SLAs) your organization requires to achieve its goals.
A few SLA aspects to consider before working with a managed DRaaS provider are:
- Organizational alignment with the vendor’s recovery time objectives (RTO) and recovery point objectives (RPO)
- Testing and validation offerings, like simulated disaster scenarios and the ability to conduct non-disruptive tests to improve your cybersecurity posture
- Documentation of the DRaaS setup, configuration, and usage for ongoing management
- Data backup and retention policies
2. Strong Data Security and Compliance Standards
Cybersecurity guidelines and compliance are two areas often forgotten about when organizations choose a DRaaS vendor, but failure to follow your industry’s compliance standards can result in devastating legal consequences.
To avoid this from happening, assess the provider's security measures, encryption protocols, and compliance certifications, and make sure they adhere to the latest compliance regulations.
3. Scalability To Fit Your Organization’s Needs
While cybersecurity and scalability may not seem related, as your company expands, you’ll need tailored cybersecurity measures and services to maintain a disaster recovery process that best safeguards your assets.
Ensure that the DRaaS solution from a vendor can scale with your business growth. It should accommodate changes in data volume, application complexity, and user requirements, all without hindering your operations.
4. Transparent Pricing Structures That Account for All Services
The last issue you want to worry about is a DRaaS provider with an unclear or complicated pricing structure. The provider should provide a transparent pricing structure that includes any hidden fees to evaluate the true value of the service.
That’s why we recommend looking for a vendor that supports a monthly subscription and is transparent about any potential pricing changes. A monthly subscription is cost-effective, often saves money in the long run, and is typically easier to manage and balance.
5. Continuous Support and Verified Expertise
While you can plan for disaster recovery, it’s impossible to guarantee that your organization won’t experience a cyber attack at some point.
That’s why your DRaaS vendor must provide ongoing support and have a strong reputation, as well as validation for their expertise and work. Look at client reviews, testimonials, and case studies of those who have worked with the vendor and ensure the experiences have been relatively good.
Work With an Experienced DRaaS Provider
Choosing the right DRaaS provider that checks every box for your needs may seem overwhelming, as you need to analyze services, payment structures, ongoing support offered, compliance adherence, and their ability to support the expansion of your growing business.
Tec-Refresh can work with your organization to ensure that we meet your DRaaS requirements. With our decades of experience and numerous client success stories, you can know with certainty that you’re in the right hands.
Get a closer look at how Jurupa Community Service District and Tec-Refresh achieved a cybersecurity breakthrough for their business when you download the case study.
