Difference between Business Continuity Plan and Disaster Recovery Plan


There are problems in the world we live in. Natural catastrophes like tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other calamities that inflict damage after they pass, obliterating entire cities and putting a stop to human economic activity, are common news items in our unpredictable environment. Natural disasters affect people's daily lives and have a devastating effect on the activities of businesses and other institutions throughout the globe. Because of this, the need for contingency planning for the risk of disruptions to corporate operations and the services offered by technology has increased exponentially.

Various contingency plans exist to aid firms in becoming ready for the unexpected. Both "business continuity" and "disaster recovery" refer to the same thing− a company's comprehensive response plans in the case of a crisis. These precautions won't stop a disaster from happening, but they will help your business weather storms for which it might not be ready.

What is Business Continuity Plan?

Business continuity planning is the process of preparing for the possibility that a company's day−to−day operations would be interrupted due to circumstances beyond the control of the company. The term "business continuity plan" (BCP) refers to a proactive strategy that establishes a framework for prevention and recovery in the case of a crisis. Business continuity planning is a method that helps companies keep running before, during, and after crises.

A business continuity plan (BCP) is a set of internal policies and processes designed to keep a firm running smoothly despite catastrophic failure. Management of operations is the process of overseeing the various facets of a business that are essential to its survival and the generation of profit. Standardization, protocol development, and recovery system design are all examples of activities that might pave the way for immediate measures of mitigation.

What is Disaster Recovery Plan?

Disaster Recovery Planning, or DRP for short, is an urgent action plan that is followed by business continuity activities. It focuses mostly on the immediate repercussions of an unexpected event. To prepare for and recover from disruptions in service caused by things like natural disasters, man−made catastrophes, and even cyberattacks, businesses create disaster recovery plans or DRPs. It is a method that has been well−structured and documented to handle certain IT−related disturbances, such as a server going down, the power going out, a hacker breaking into the system, etc. Tragedy recovery, as the phrase implies, requires taking quick action after a disaster to mitigate its effects.

A Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) is more of a tactical approach that requires an immediate response to mitigating the impact of a disaster and recover critical information technology systems, while a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) takes a more long−term and strategic approach to ensuring the continuity of operations. It is a part of a company's BCP and is put in place all over the place to ensure the smooth running of the IT systems that keep the business running.

Differences: Business Continuity Plan and Disaster Recovery Plan

The following table highlights how a Business Continuity Plan differs from a Disaster Recovery Plan −

Characteristics Business Continuity Plan Disaster Recovery Plan
Definition A business continuity plan (BCP) is a strategy for continuing normal operations before, during, and after any unforeseen disruptions. A disaster recovery plan (DRP) is a subset of business continuity planning that addresses the recovery of essential IT systems and the reduction of their impact in the event of a disaster.
Focus The primary goal of a firm's business continuity plan (BCP) is to guarantee that the business can continue to function normally in the event of a disruption. Specific aspects of a company's IT infrastructure are the subject of the Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP), which ensures business continuity in the event of a disaster.
Steps Having a BCP in place provides a strategic and long−term plan for getting back to business as usual after an interruption. DRP takes a more tactical approach to deal with unplanned mishaps.
Objective A business continuity plan is made to keep a company running during and shortly after a disaster. The Disaster Recovery Plan aims to mitigate disasters' consequences and manage the immediate aftermath.

Conclusion

Although there are commonalities between disaster recovery and business continuity plans, the two are nevertheless distinct. Disaster recovery plans address IT infrastructure, but business continuity plans include the entire company. A business continuity plan includes a strategy for resuming operations following a catastrophic event.

Although the two plans cover different ground, the disaster recovery plan is typically considered to be a part of the business continuity plan (BCP), and the BCP is doomed to failure if it isn't supplemented with a strategy for quickly responding to disruptions in information systems.

Updated on: 25-Nov-2022

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