Business Continuity vs Disaster Recovery: 5 Major Differences

Business Continuity vs Disaster Recovery: 5 Major Differences

You’ve got disaster recovery plans in place. But do you have a business continuity plan? As the titles would imply, the main difference is the scope of the two plans. The fundamental difference between business continuity vs disaster recovery plans is the strategies used to implement them.

In this article, we’ll go into five critical differences. We’ll give you a better idea of how to prepare for the worst. Read along to learn more!

1. Scope

Business continuity focuses on preventive measures to ensure business activity can be resumed quickly with minimal disruption in the event of a disaster. It evaluates risks, strategies, testing, and planning that allow for recovery and continuity using business continuity software.

On the other hand, disaster recovery is reactive by nature, focusing on the technology and process aspects of recovering from an event that has already occurred. Its purpose is to provide a plan to restore systems and access to data in the event of a disaster. 

2. Planning Timeline

Business continuity focuses on the continued functioning of a business or organization in the event of a disaster. This plan covers the immediate effects of a disaster and the long-term impacts it may have on the business’s daily operations.

Disaster recovery is Plan B. This plan focuses on recovering systems and data afterward. 

3. Strategies

Business continuity planning is all about preparing for and managing the risks to the business so that the company can continue to operate during a crisis. It keeps operations running so the company can quickly return to normal.

On the other hand, business disaster recovery focuses on restoring services and critical functions after a crisis. It is all about understanding the impact of the disaster on the business and taking steps to recover essential operations and data to pre-disaster levels. 

4. Testing

Business continuity testing ensures that IT systems or applications stay live and remain operable in an emergency. Disaster recovery testing focuses on the necessary steps that need to be taken to get IT systems or applications back up and running in the event of a disaster. 

5. Goals

Business continuity is about building processes and plans to ensure that the business can withstand disruptions, and if they occur, the trouble is manageable. Disaster recovery is about responding to disasters and mitigating the damages that they cause.

Business continuity focuses on preventing tragedies. In contrast, disaster recovery focuses on mitigating the damages caused by disasters that cannot be stopped.

Learn Between Business Continuity vs Disaster Recovery Today

There are five key differences between business continuity vs disaster recovery. They are essential components of any business plan. Organizations must ensure both are correctly implemented and regularly tested to be effective when needed.

So, if you’re unsure about the difference between the two, take some time to research and get up-to-date on the best practices. Get started today!

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