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Striking the Right Balance: RTO, RPO, and Layered Cyber Attack Recovery in the Covenco Cloud

The ever-increasing prevalence of cyber-attacks has made robust data backup and recovery (DR) strategies non-negotiable for businesses of all sizes. However, achieving optimal recovery times and data loss tolerance can be a balancing act. IT managers are constantly challenged to reconcile two crucial metrics: Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO).

The RTO/RPO Tango: Understanding Your Recovery Needs

RTO defines the maximum downtime your organisation can tolerate after a cyber-attack before experiencing significant financial or operational impact. Think of it as the target time within which critical systems and data need to be back online.

RPO, on the other hand, refers to the maximum acceptable amount of data loss you can withstand. It essentially determines how far back in time your backups need to reach to minimise disruption.

The Ideal World vs. Reality

In a perfect scenario, every byte of your data would be instantly recoverable in the event of an attack. However, achieving this ideal state often comes at a hefty price. High-performance backup solutions that store all data on high-performance flash storage can be very expensive, especially for large datasets.

The Layered Recovery Approach: Cost-Effectiveness Meets Speed

This is where a layered approach to data recovery shines. By understanding your RTO and RPO needs for different data sets, you can create a more cost-effective DR strategy. Here’s how it works:

  • Prioritise Critical Data:
    Identify the data sets that are essential for immediate business continuity. This could include financial records, customer databases, and active project files.
  • High-Speed Recovery for Critical Data:
    Store backups of this critical data on high-performance flash storage within the Covenco Cloud. This enables near-instantaneous recovery, minimising downtime and ensuring business continuity.
  • Tiered Storage for Less Critical Data:
    For less critical data, such as historical archives or infrequently accessed files, slower but more cost-effective storage options within the Covenco Cloud are perfectly suitable. Depending on its level of importance, this data can be recovered within a pre-determined timeframe (hours or days).

Building your layered recovery strategy

  1. Identifying Critical Data Sets:
    Determining which data sets are most critical for faster recovery can be complex. Covenco’s managed services team offers expert guidance to help you assess your business needs and prioritise your data accordingly. We’ll work with you to understand your organisation’s workflows, regulatory compliance requirements, and potential downtime tolerance for different systems and applications.
  1. Defining Your RTO and RPO:
    Through comprehensive discussions and risk assessments, we will help you establish clear and realistic RTO and RPO objectives tailored to your specific business environment. These objectives will act as the foundation for your layered recovery strategy and we can help you with regular reviews and updates to these plans.
  1. Building a Multi-Tiered DR Plan:
    Covenco’s team will collaborate with you to develop a DR plan that accounts for varying recovery times based on data classification. This plan will outline the specific recovery processes for each data tier, ensuring efficient and timely response to cyber-attacks.
  1. Leveraging Covenco Cloud Features for Enhanced Recovery:
    Covenco offers a range of features within our cloud platform to further strengthen your cyber resilience.

These include:

  • Replication and High Availability (HA):
    These technologies create point in time and continuous copies of your critical data, enabling near-instantaneous failover in case of a disaster.
  • Air Backups:
    We provide a secure fully air-gapped backup solution using tape technology. This ensures that a copy of your data remains entirely offline, providing an additional layer of protection against ransomware attacks that target online backups.
  • Immutable Backups:
    Covenco provides immutable backups for your data with Object Lock Technology. This ensures that these datasets cannot be accidentally overwritten or altered, further enhancing your data integrity and recovery options.

By combining these features with a layered storage approach, you can create an incredibly robust and cost-effective DR strategy. Covenco’s cloud infrastructure provides a secure and reliable environment for your backups, ensuring their availability even in the event of a physical disaster at your on-premise location. What’s more, Covenco can help you create a plan that’s easily affordable and effective.

Beyond Recovery: Continuous Monitoring and Threat Prevention

While a strong DR strategy is crucial, it’s equally important to focus on preventing cyber-attacks in the first place. Covenco provides a comprehensive suite of cybersecurity services, including Managed Detection & Response (MDR) Services,  continuous threat monitoring via fully managed SOC & SEIM Services, Incident Response Retainer services as well as emergency incident response and compromise assessments, vulnerability management services and penetration testing. By proactively addressing vulnerabilities in your IT systems, you can significantly reduce the risk of successful cyberattacks and the need for data recovery altogether.

Taking the Next Step

Cyber-attacks are a reality for businesses of all sizes. However, by working with Covenco, you can create a layered DR strategy that balances cost-effectiveness and speed.

By working with Covenco, you can create a layered DR strategy that balances cost-effectiveness and speed while ensuring business continuity in the face of cyber threats. Our expert team will guide you through the process of assessing your critical data, defining your RTO and RPO objectives, building a tailored DR plan, and leveraging the advanced features of our cloud platform.

With Covenco as your trusted partner, you can confidently navigate the complex landscape of cyber security and data protection. Contact our managed services team today to discuss your specific needs and embark on a journey towards a more resilient and secure digital future.