Events over the last several years such as September 11, bush fires, earthquakes, mudslides, massive floods and the Boxing Day tsunami in Southeast Asia have forced us to rethink what we consider critical infrastructure.

These events brought about the loss of essential services, causing widespread problems with companies and their staff.

Almost all companies — whether commercial or government — rely on some form of technology to manage the various parts of their operations. A disruption to the availability of any of these resources, if even for a few hours, can have serious consequences for their ability to function.

How a company responds to threats during and after a crisis will determine whether they emerge on the other side intact.

What's a Disaster Recovery Plan?

A disaster recovery plan (DRP) — often referred to as a business continuity plan (BCP) — is a comprehensive set of measures and procedures put into place within an organization to ensure that essential services are maintained or backed up by alternatives during various stages of a disaster.