What a DRP is
A Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) is a document on how to restore IT infrastructure, systems and data after an outage, disaster or cyberattack. The DRP answers "how to bring back the technology and data," whereas a BCP answers "how to keep the whole business going."
DRP vs BCP: the difference
| BCP | DRP | |
|---|---|---|
| What it restores | Whole business processes | IT systems and data |
| Who owns it | Business + management | IT / InfoSec |
| Example | How to replace a missing supplier | How to bring servers back from backup |
The DRP is usually part of the BCP as its technical component. More on the levels — in "BCM, BCP, DRP: the difference".
What a DRP includes
- A list of critical systems and their recovery priorities.
- RTO and RPO for each system.
- Backups: what, where, how often, isolated (offline) copies against ransomware.
- Backup infrastructure: spare capacity, cloud, sites.
- Step-by-step recovery procedures and owners.
- Recovery testing from backups — regularly, not "when it hits".
FAQ
Are a DRP and a BCP the same thing?
No. A DRP is about restoring IT systems and data; a BCP is about whole-business continuity (processes, people, suppliers, communications). A DRP is usually the IT part of a BCP.
How often should a DRP be tested?
At least once a year, and more often for critical systems. The test must include an actual restore from backup, not just confirming the backup exists.
How do I protect backups from ransomware?
Keep isolated (offline or immutable) copies separated from the main network, and verify their recovery regularly.
Check your recovery numbers
The assessment shows where business deadlines diverge from what technology can deliver. Those numbers are then produced either by your specialist or by us.
