Backup & Recovery · July 2026
Backup vs Disaster Recovery
Backup is a copy. Disaster recovery is the plan to restore business operations. Most firms have backup. Few have DR. Here's why that gap matters.
Backup vs disaster recovery at a glance
Backup is the act of copying data so you can restore it. Disaster recovery is the broader plan to restore business operations - including people, processes, technology, and communication - within an acceptable timeframe.
Recovery time and recovery point
RTO (Recovery Time Objective) is how fast you need to be back online. RPO (Recovery Point Objective) is how much data you can afford to lose. Most firms can survive 4-24 hours of downtime and lose up to 1 hour of data. Backup alone rarely meets these targets without DR planning.
Why backup alone isn't enough
Ransomware attacks have made backup the first target. Attackers encrypt or delete backups before encrypting production data. If your backup is online and accessible, your recovery is also compromised. Immutable backup (write-once, read-many) and air-gapped backup are now table stakes.
The DR plan
A tested DR plan covers: critical system identification, recovery sequencing, communication plan (who gets notified when), alternate work location, vendor contacts, and a documented test schedule. Most firms haven't tested their DR plan in the last 12 months - which means it doesn't work.
Industry-specific requirements
Healthcare (HIPAA): 1-hour RPO, 4-hour RTO for critical systems. Financial services (SEC, FINRA): same-day recovery. Legal (client obligations): full restoration within 24 hours. CMMC Level 2: 72-hour recovery, tested annually.
What to do this quarter
1) Document your actual RTO and RPO targets. 2) Move backup to immutable or air-gapped storage. 3) Test restore from backup (not just verify backup ran). 4) Document and tabletop-test your DR plan. 5) Schedule quarterly DR drills.
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