Best 10 Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR) Solutions For Business (2026)
We reviewed the leading BCDR solutions on workflow automation, data replication performance, and how well each supports the regular testing that distinguishes organizations that will recover quickly from those that will not.
Written by
Caitlin Harris
Technical Review by
Craig MacAlpine
Quick Summary
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR) solutions combine data replication, failover orchestration, and recovery testing to ensure organizations can restore operations after ransomware, infrastructure failure, or disaster. BCDR programs that have never been tested provide false confidence; automated recovery testing is the only reliable evidence that recovery will work. We reviewed the top platforms and found Datto SIRIS, Archer Business Resiliency, and Arcserve Continuous Availability to be the strongest on replication reliability and automated recovery testing quality.
Business continuity and disaster recovery planning separates organizations that survive disruptions from those that don’t. The market splits into two camps: tools that handle the technical backup and recovery piece, and platforms that manage the planning, testing, and governance across your entire organization.
The real problem isn’t choosing between them, you need both. Backup technology means nothing if your teams don’t have updated recovery procedures. Governance platforms fail if they’re disconnected from the actual data protection happening on your infrastructure. Getting this balance wrong costs time, money, and sometimes your customers’ trust.
We evaluated 10 solutions across the BCDR market, evaluating each for recovery speed, ease of deployment, automation depth, and how well they integrate with real-world IT environments. We reviewed customer experiences to identify where vendor claims about “five-minute recovery” or “automated testing” actually deliver versus where they create more work. What we found: the gap between claiming low RTO and actually delivering it is significant.
This guide gives you the framework to match BCDR solutions to your organization’s actual recovery requirements, not just theoretical minimums your budget can’t support.
Our Recommendations
Your ideal platform depends on your specific deployment requirements and which capabilities matter most.
- Best For Recovery That Actually Works When You Need It: Datto SIRIS Instant virtualization gets systems running in minutes during outages, on premises or cloud.
- Best For Planning and Prioritization at Scale: Archer Business Resiliency Centralized console tracks recovery plans, risk assessments, and crisis events across business units.
- Best For Byte-Level Replication That Keeps Pace: Arcserve Continuous Availability Real-time byte-level replication keeps backup state current rather than hours behind.
- Best For Dependency-Driven Planning That Adapts: Fusion Framework System Dependency mapping visualizes how disruptions cascade and highlights organizational gaps clearly.
- Best For Centralized Planning With Built-In Automation: LogicManager Business Continuity Management (BCM) Centralizes all BCP information so risk owners update directly in one system.
Datto SIRIS is a backup and disaster recovery platform built for MSPs and mid-to-large enterprises managing distributed infrastructure across physical, virtual, and cloud environments. It consolidates data protection and recovery into one solution with predictable pricing and no-cost appliance hardware. We think this is one of the strongest options for organizations with strict uptime requirements that need verified, fast disaster recovery.
Datto SIRIS Key Features
Datto SIRIS delivers instant virtualization that spins up systems locally or in Datto’s cloud when primary infrastructure fails. Inverse Chain Technology produces fully bootable images from every incremental backup without reassembly, eliminating a common recovery bottleneck. AI-powered screenshot verification with over 99% accuracy validates every backup for boot capability and ransomware presence automatically. 1-Click Disaster Recovery clones tested VM and network configurations for live failover. Cloud Deletion Defense protects against accidental or malicious backup removal. ZFS-based snapshots with immutable storage and encryption round out the ransomware defense layer.
What Customers Say
Users consistently praise recovery speed and reliability during actual outages. Cloud replication gives teams confidence that hardware failures won’t cause extended downtime. The Partner Portal makes multi-client management straightforward for MSP teams. Something to be aware of is that the interface is initially complex and setup requires technical expertise. Local storage fills quickly without proper retention policy management.
Our Take
We think Datto SIRIS fits MSPs and enterprises with strict recovery time requirements and distributed infrastructure. The instant virtualization and AI-powered backup verification are standout features. Smaller teams without dedicated IT staff will find the configuration overhead challenging.
Strengths
- Instant virtualization gets systems running in minutes during outages
- AI-powered screenshot verification with over 99% accuracy
- 1-Click Disaster Recovery clones tested configurations for live failover
- Immutable ZFS snapshots and Cloud Deletion Defense block ransomware
Cautions
- Users note setup requires dedicated technical expertise
- Reviews mention local storage fills quickly without careful retention management
Archer Business Resiliency
Archer Business Resiliency is a planning and governance platform for business continuity and IT disaster recovery. It targets large enterprises that need to document, test, and track recovery strategies across multiple business units and compliance frameworks. This is not a backup tool; it handles the planning and coordination layer.
Archer Business Resiliency Key Features
Archer Business Resiliency provides a centralized console for managing recovery plans, risk assessments, and crisis events across business units. Workflow automation standardizes BCDR processes that often drift between departments. Visual dashboards display criticality ratings, business impact analysis, and compliance status for quick prioritization. The platform supports operational resilience assessments with impact tolerance analysis and scenario planning. Its flexible architecture extends beyond traditional continuity planning into adjacent governance and risk processes.
What Customers Say
Customers praise the platform’s flexibility for building use cases beyond traditional BCDR. The premium success program gets consistent positive feedback for helping solve implementation challenges. Teams value having centralized visibility into recovery readiness across departments. Something to be aware of is that the user interface feels dated compared to modern GRC tools, and the platform has no native backup or data recovery capabilities.
Our Take
We think Archer Business Resiliency fits large enterprises prioritizing documentation, compliance alignment, and cross-functional coordination over technical recovery execution. The centralized governance capabilities are strong for organizations managing complex regulatory requirements. If your primary need is backup and restore, look elsewhere.
Strengths
- Centralized console tracks recovery plans, risk assessments, and crisis events
- Visual dashboards show criticality ratings and business impact at a glance
- Workflow automation standardizes BCDR processes across departments
- Flexible architecture supports use cases beyond traditional continuity planning
Cautions
- No native backup or data recovery capabilities; strictly a planning platform
- Customers report the user interface feels dated compared to modern GRC tools
Arcserve Continuous Availability
Arcserve Continuous Availability is a real-time data replication platform designed for near-zero downtime. It targets mid-size to large enterprises running mixed Windows and Linux environments across on-premises, remote, and cloud infrastructure. We think this is a strong option for organizations where losing even recent transactions creates real business impact.
Arcserve Continuous Availability Key Features
Arcserve Continuous Availability replicates data continuously at the byte level from source systems to secure replicas. This keeps your backup state current rather than relying on periodic snapshots from hours ago. Replication targets include physical servers, VMware, Hyper-V, Amazon EC2, and Microsoft Azure. Application rollback lets you restore to a specific point before disruption occurred. AES 128-bit or 256-bit encryption protects data in transit. The platform covers individual files, databases, applications, or full physical and virtual machines with configurable automatic failover.
What Customers Say
Long-term users describe the platform as stable and low-maintenance once configured. The set-and-forget pattern comes up repeatedly in customer feedback. Support and regular health checks get positive mentions. Users highlight strong data reduction ratios with meaningful storage savings. Something to be aware of is that initial setup is tedious and requires significant configuration effort upfront. Linux features are more limited compared to Windows environment support.
Our Take
We think Arcserve Continuous Availability fits organizations where recovery time objectives are tight and data changes constantly. The real-time byte-level replication delivers RPOs measured in seconds rather than hours. If your business can tolerate hourly backup windows, simpler and cheaper solutions exist.
Strengths
- Real-time byte-level replication keeps backup state current continuously
- Supports replication to physical servers, VMware, Hyper-V, AWS, and Azure
- Application rollback restores systems to specific pre-disruption points
- Long-term users report stability and low maintenance after initial setup
Cautions
- Users report initial setup is tedious with significant configuration effort
- Reviews note Linux features are more limited than Windows support
Fusion Framework System
Fusion Framework System is a business continuity and risk management platform built on Salesforce Lightning. It targets mid-sized to large enterprises at any BCM maturity level, with modules covering continuity management, crisis response, IT disaster recovery, and third-party risk. We think this is a strong option for organizations already in the Salesforce ecosystem that want deep dependency mapping and guided workflows.
Fusion Framework System Key Features
Fusion Framework System uses dependency mapping to visualize how disruptions cascade through connected systems and highlight organizational gaps. Impact tolerance analysis identifies exactly how much risk your business can absorb before operations suffer. The Guided Workflow feature automates plan updates and enforces consistent processes across teams. Connectors to ServiceNow, Workday HR, and other enterprise systems pull data automatically. The AI-based Infusion Uploader reduces manual effort when building continuity and disaster recovery plans. The Salesforce Lightning foundation enables straightforward integration for organizations already in that ecosystem.
What Customers Say
Customers consistently praise the customization depth, with organizations tailoring risk and resilience processes to specific needs without heavy coding. The Salesforce foundation makes integration straightforward for existing Salesforce shops. Support teams get positive marks for responsiveness. Something to be aware of is that the learning curve is steep, and initial setup takes significant time. Advanced reporting requires technical expertise or vendor support.
Our Take
We think Fusion Framework System fits organizations ready to invest in setup for long-term resilience visibility. The dependency mapping and guided workflows are real differentiators for mature programs. Smaller teams without dedicated administrators will struggle with the configuration overhead.
Strengths
- Dependency mapping shows how disruptions cascade across connected systems
- AI-based Infusion Uploader reduces manual effort building continuity plans
- Guided Workflow automates plan updates and enforces consistency
- Salesforce Lightning foundation enables smooth integration for existing users
Cautions
- Customers report a steep learning curve requiring significant training investment
- Reviews mention initial setup is time-consuming and demands dedicated admin resources
LogicManager Business Continuity Management (BCM)
LogicManager BCM is a business continuity planning and tracking platform for mid-sized organizations. It centralizes BCP creation, testing, and monitoring in one console as part of a broader enterprise risk management platform. This is a planning and compliance tool, not a backup solution. We think this is a solid option for compliance-focused teams that want auditable BCP documentation with built-in automation.
LogicManager Business Continuity Management (BCM) Key Features
LogicManager BCM centralizes all continuity information so risk owners update directly in one system rather than scattered spreadsheets. Pre-built business impact analysis templates help teams identify critical processes without starting from scratch. Automatic nightly Call Tree updates pull from HRIS integrations, eliminating stale contact lists. Automatic BCP testing validates plans before incidents occur. Risk Ripple intelligence shows how disruptions cascade across processes, systems, and teams. Customizable compliance checklists and reporting help during audit season.
What Customers Say
Customer service stands out across feedback, with the support team assisting with report creation, bulk uploads, and implementation changes. Users describe onboarding as responsive and hands-on. System administrators report minimal training needed for basic functions. Something to be aware of is that the report builder interface is less intuitive than the spreadsheet tools most teams already know. Accessing historical reports can feel inconsistent.
Our Take
We think LogicManager BCM fits organizations needing auditable BCP documentation and progress tracking with compliance obligations. The Risk Ripple intelligence and automatic BCP testing are useful differentiators. If your primary need is data backup and recovery, look elsewhere.
Strengths
- Centralizes all BCP information so risk owners update in one system
- Automatic nightly Call Tree updates via HRIS eliminate stale contact lists
- Risk Ripple intelligence shows how disruptions cascade across teams
- Support team actively assists with report creation and implementation
Cautions
- No native backup or recovery capabilities; strictly planning and tracking
- Users note report builder is less intuitive than familiar spreadsheet tools
Premier Continuum ParaSolution
Premier Continuum ParaSolution is a business continuity lifecycle platform that pairs software with training and consultancy services. It targets mid-sized to large enterprises at any BCM maturity level. Ranked number one in SoftwareReviews’ 2025 Data Quadrant for BCM for the fifth consecutive year, ParaSolution is certified to ISO 27018, ISO 22301, SOC, and WCAG 2.2 AA. We think this is a strong option for organizations building BCM maturity that want expert guidance alongside their tooling.
Premier Continuum ParaSolution Key Features
Premier Continuum ParaSolution integrates business impact analysis, risk assessment, BCP development, and incident management into a single web-based platform. Cross-platform compatibility covers Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, Android, and iOS for distributed team access. The ISO 22301 module measures compliance levels and supports certification efforts. A new AI-powered module launched in 2025 provides real-time threat monitoring and analysis, earning Premier Continuum the 2025 BCI Americas Award for Collaboration of the Year. Bundled training and consultancy services support organizations through BCP creation and maturity building.
What Customers Say
Customers value the hands-on support teams and the design team’s willingness to accommodate specific business needs rather than forcing rigid workflows. The combined software-plus-consultancy approach shows in consistently high satisfaction scores. Something to be aware of is that the interface can confuse new team members during internal rollouts. Documentation for high-complexity configurations needs improvement.
Our Take
We think Premier Continuum ParaSolution fits organizations building BCM maturity that benefit from expert consultancy alongside their software. The bundled training and new AI-powered threat monitoring module are real differentiators. Teams with deep existing continuity expertise that just need a tool may find simpler options sufficient.
Strengths
- Integrated BIA, risk assessment, BCP development, and incident management
- AI-powered real-time threat monitoring module launched in 2025
- Cross-platform web access across Windows, Mac, Linux, and mobile devices
- Bundled training and consultancy supports organizations at any maturity level
Cautions
- Users note the interface can confuse new team members during rollouts
- Reviews mention documentation for high-complexity customizations needs work
Riskonnect Business Continuity And Resilience
Riskonnect Business Continuity And Resilience (formerly Castellan) is an integrated risk management platform for larger enterprises. It combines digital environment modeling with business continuity planning to help organizations visualize and address vulnerabilities before incidents occur. We think this is a solid option for enterprises that want granular risk modeling with dependency mapping alongside their continuity planning.
Riskonnect Business Continuity And Resilience Key Features
Riskonnect Business Continuity And Resilience creates digital models of your organization showing dependencies, vulnerabilities, and critical systems. Business impact analysis within this model identifies weaknesses in response and recovery processes that static documentation misses. Pre-built workflows and templates follow BCDR best practices, with out-of-the-box ISO 22301 alignment for certification efforts. Mobile emergency notifications and encrypted chat keep response teams connected during incidents. The 2025 Organization Strategies feature enables resilience leaders to create and manage strategies in a central library for consistent response and recovery approaches.
What Customers Say
Customers appreciate having one consolidated system for goals, timelines, and process tracking instead of juggling multiple tools. Some organizations achieved ISO certification using the platform. The platform handles diverse risk and resilience processes in a single location. Something to be aware of is that the interface can feel cluttered with too many tabs, creating navigation challenges. Basic reporting needs improvement, with requests for more interactive dashboards.
Our Take
We think Riskonnect Business Continuity And Resilience fits enterprises that want digital modeling of organizational dependencies and risk exposure. The mobile crisis communication tools address a gap many continuity platforms leave open. Teams preferring simpler interfaces or working with tighter budgets should evaluate alternatives.
Strengths
- Digital environment modeling visualizes dependencies and critical systems
- Mobile emergency notifications and encrypted chat for crisis response
- ISO 22301 alignment accelerates compliance-focused implementations
- Organization Strategies feature centralizes response and recovery approaches
Cautions
- Customers note the interface feels cluttered with too many tabs
- Reviews flag basic reporting needs more interactive dashboard options
SAI360 Business Continuity Management
SAI360 Business Continuity Management is part of a broader integrated GRC platform that combines compliance, risk management, and business continuity in one system. It targets mid-market organizations and larger enterprises, particularly those with global incident response teams needing effective cross-office communication during crises. SAI360 was recognized as a Leader in the 2025 Verdantix Green Quadrant for GRC software. We think this is a strong option for organizations that want unified GRC and BCDR with multi-language support.
SAI360 Business Continuity Management Key Features
SAI360 Business Continuity Management triggers crisis and recovery plans automatically based on affected assets without manual intervention. The central repository handles plan creation, updates, and distribution. Business impact analysis uses proprietary algorithms with custom reporting to surface vulnerabilities. Integration with mass notification systems like OnSolve and Everbridge keeps teams and stakeholders informed during incidents. Multi-language support and localized date formats make global rollouts practical. The no-code workflow editor lets administrators fix processes without developer involvement.
What Customers Say
Customers using the platform heavily report it rarely fails. The no-code workflow editor gets positive marks for letting teams adjust processes independently. Support teams get consistent praise for responsiveness. Onboarding moves faster than expected, and auto-flagging of risks saves time compared to manual searching. Something to be aware of is that the interface feels dated and navigation requires too many clicks for simple tasks. Dashboard and report customization is difficult and time-consuming.
Our Take
We think SAI360 Business Continuity Management fits enterprises with distributed response teams needing unified GRC and BCDR with reliable notification integration. The automatic plan activation and mass notification integration are real differentiators for global operations. Teams that prioritize modern interfaces should evaluate alternatives.
Strengths
- Automatic crisis plan activation triggers based on affected assets
- Mass notification integration with OnSolve and Everbridge for global teams
- Multi-language support and localized formatting for worldwide deployment
- No-code workflow editor lets admins adjust processes without developers
Cautions
- Users report the interface feels dated with too many clicks for simple tasks
- Reviews note dashboard and report customization is difficult to configure
Veritas Backup Exec
Veritas Backup Exec is a data backup and recovery platform built for small to mid-sized businesses. It handles backup scheduling, replication, and recovery across cloud and on-premises environments from a central console. This is a pure backup tool, not a business continuity planning solution. We think this is a practical option for SMBs wanting reliable backup without enterprise complexity.
Veritas Backup Exec Key Features
Veritas Backup Exec manages backup scheduling, monitoring, and recovery from one console with an interface that requires minimal training. Deduplication reduces storage costs and bandwidth strain during replication. The platform supports VMware, Windows, and Linux environments from a single installation. Cloud integrations cover Microsoft 365 (Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams), Google Workspace, Google Cloud, and Salesforce. Instant Recovery Cloud enables physical-to-virtual and virtual-to-physical recovery when primary systems fail. Azure Object Lock provides ransomware-protected immutable cloud storage. Two-factor authentication and protection against external encryption or deletion secure backup copies.
What Customers Say
Users consistently describe the platform as easy to use with a straightforward licensing model. Granular VM backup functionality gets positive mentions. Teams protecting both IaaS and PaaS workloads find the single-console approach efficient. Something to be aware of is that there are no business continuity planning or risk assessment capabilities. Multi-tenant MSP support is absent, limiting managed service provider use cases.
Our Take
We think Veritas Backup Exec fits SMBs wanting cost-effective, reliable backup without complexity or enterprise overhead. The broad cloud integrations and straightforward licensing are real selling points. If you need business continuity planning, risk assessment, or MSP multi-tenancy, look elsewhere.
Strengths
- Intuitive console manages backup scheduling, monitoring, and recovery
- Deduplication reduces storage costs and bandwidth during replication
- Cloud integrations cover M365, Google Workspace, Google Cloud, and Salesforce
- Azure Object Lock provides ransomware-protected immutable cloud storage
Cautions
- No business continuity planning or risk assessment capabilities
- Reviews note multi-tenant MSP support is absent
Zerto
Zerto, now part of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, is a continuous data protection platform focused on minimizing recovery time and data loss. It targets larger enterprises running virtual environments across on-premises and cloud infrastructure who need RPOs measured in seconds rather than hours. We think this is one of the strongest options for organizations where downtime translates directly to significant business impact.
Zerto Key Features
Zerto uses journal-based continuous data protection for point-in-time recovery, logging every change with granularity of seconds rather than relying on periodic snapshots. Recovery point objectives shrink from hours to seconds with this approach. Recovery options span full system restores down to granular file-level retrieval. Write backups to your own data center or public, private, and hybrid cloud environments. The Zerto Virtual Manager centralizes recovery analytics and backup scheduling with different rules for different services. A mobile app lets admins monitor backups remotely without VPN connections. Access to backup data continues even when original systems experience downtime.
What Customers Say
Customers consistently describe Zerto as reliable for site-to-site disaster recovery scenarios. Teams report recovering quickly when real disasters hit. The platform simplifies replication and orchestration that traditionally require manual effort. Support response times get positive mentions. Something to be aware of is that scoping and implementation require careful alignment to avoid unmet expectations. The platform is best suited for VMware and Hyper-V environments, which limits some use cases.
Our Take
We think Zerto fits enterprises with strict recovery objectives running VMware or Hyper-V environments. The journal-based CDP with second-level RPOs is a real differentiator for financial services, healthcare, and other sectors where every data point matters. If your data loss tolerance is hours rather than seconds, simpler and cheaper solutions exist.
Strengths
- Journal-based CDP enables point-in-time recovery with RPOs in seconds
- Flexible restoration from full systems down to individual file retrieval
- Supports on-premises, public cloud, private cloud, and hybrid targets
- Mobile app enables remote monitoring without VPN connections
Cautions
- Customers note scoping and implementation need careful upfront alignment
- Best suited for VMware and Hyper-V, limiting some environment coverage
What To Look For: BCDR Solutions Checklist
Evaluating BCDR solutions requires balancing recovery speed, operational complexity, and cost. Here’s the checklist of questions you should be asking:
- Recovery Time Objectives Match Reality: What RTO does your business actually need? Not what sounds good, but what keeps your company from hemorrhaging money. Can you afford four hour outages or do you need recovery in under 15 minutes? Choose technology aligned with your real threshold, not marketing claims.
- Data Loss Tolerance: How much data can you lose without major consequences? Hourly snapshots work for many businesses, but financial systems and healthcare need RPO measured in seconds. Continuous replication costs more but matters in specific environments.
- Infrastructure Diversity: Do you run multiple hypervisors, cloud providers, or physical servers? Some platforms handle VMware beautifully but struggle with Hyper-V. Others are cloud-first and add on premises support awkwardly. Verify coverage matches your actual environment.
- Backup Verification: Can you test recovery without disrupting production? Automated backup verification using screenshots and test restores catches problems before they’re crisis-level. Manual testing is fine for small environments but doesn’t scale.
- Team Expertise vs Automation: Do you have dedicated IT staff for initial setup and ongoing management? Some platforms automate heavily once configured, others require constant tuning. Be honest about your team’s capacity.
- Planning vs Technical Execution: What problem are you actually solving? If the issue is stale recovery plans, governance tools matter more than backup speed. If it’s unplanned downtime, you need backup and replication tools. Some organizations need both.
- Compliance and Audit Requirements: Do regulators or auditors require specific documentation or testing cadence? Some solutions generate audit-ready reports automatically. Others require manual compilation that creates delays during compliance season.
Prioritize based on your environment. Organizations with tight RTO requirements and diverse infrastructure should focus on backup technology. Companies struggling with plan maintenance and governance need planning platforms. Large enterprises often benefit from both layers working together.
How We Compared The Best Business Continuity And Disaster Recovery Solutions
Expert Insights is an independent editorial team that evaluates cybersecurity and IT infrastructure solutions. We map the full vendor market for each category before testing, identifying all active players from market leaders to specialized challengers.
We evaluated 10 BCDR platforms across backup, replication, and planning use cases. Each was deployed in simulated enterprise scenarios covering virtual and physical, plus cloud environments. We assessed setup complexity, recovery speed, automation depth, and ease of ongoing management in realistic conditions.
Beyond hands on testing, we conducted extensive market research and reviewed customer feedback to validate vendor claims against operational reality. We examined deployment experiences, support quality, and what happens when solutions fail to meet claimed recovery windows. We spoke with product teams to understand architecture decisions and known limitations.
This guide is updated quarterly with new vendors and refreshed customer feedback. For the full details on our evaluation methodology, methodology link to https://expertinsights.com/how-we-test-review-products.
The Bottom Line
BCDR success depends on matching your recovery requirements to the right solution. There’s no one answer because disruption tolerance varies dramatically across organizations.
If recovery time is the priority and you run virtualized infrastructure, Datto SIRIS delivers proven speed with instant virtualization and automated testing. The interface takes time to learn.
For environments where data loss creates immediate business impact, Zerto minimizes RPO through continuous replication. The journal-based approach costs more but delivers measurable value in financial services, healthcare, and other sectors where every data point matters.
If your team struggles with stale recovery plans and compliance gaps, Archer Business Resiliency provides the planning framework to centralize documentation and track compliance. Pair this with a technical backup solution for complete coverage.
For mixed environments spanning physical, virtual, and cloud, Arcserve Continuous Availability handles real-time replication across diverse targets. Setup demands expertise.
Small organizations without dedicated IT staff should evaluate Veritas Backup Exec.
Thoroughly test your specific environment before committing. Recovery claims don’t matter if your actual infrastructure isn’t supported the way the vendor describes. Read the individual reviews above for deployment specifics and trade-offs relevant to your situation.
FAQs
Everything You Need To Know About Business Continuity And Disaster Recovery Solutions (FAQs)
With business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) software, businesses can prepare themselves to face disruptions so they can resume normal business operations as quickly as possible. BCDR software ensures that businesses have a plan—or multiple plans—in place to get back on their feet after an incident such as a cyberattack, natural disaster, or hardware failure.
BCDR combines two key processes: business continuity management and disaster recovery.
Business continuity management (BCM) software enables business to create business continuity plans (BCPs) and then monitor the effectiveness of those plans through regular testing. This helps to streamline incident response processes so that responsibilities can be delegated effectively, stakeholders can be notified quickly, and the overall time to respond is reduced. It also ensures that businesses have a clear audit trail should they need to prove that they took all the necessary steps to secure their data and their users in the event of a disruption.
BCM software often includes business impact analysis, risk assessments, “to-do” lists, automated tasks and response workflows, BCP testing, and reporting on BCP status.
Backup and disaster recovery software creates point-in-time copies of files, databases, and even entire systems, then writes those copies out to a secondary storage facility. This enables IT teams to quickly restore lost data in the event of a cyberattack, natural disaster, or accidental deletion.
Backup and recovery software may offer features such as automated backup creation, deduplication, backup archive security (such as encryption and multi-factor authentication), archive search functionality, and granular restoration options.
Some BCDR software offers full backup and recovery functionality; other solutions focus mainly on BCM, while offering some disaster recovery features such as live incident response tracking, secure communication tools, and mass notification and alerting.
The simple answer is that all organizations should be prepared to deal with potential disasters, so that they can get back on their feet as quickly as possible should the worst happen. However, not all businesses will need all the features offered by a BCDR solution; smaller organizations, for example, may not have as many systems to manage, so may not need to set up such complex workflows as offered by business continuity management software. They may, however, still want to invest in a backup and disaster recovery tool to help them restore their data in the event of a disaster.
Larger enterprises, on the other hand, may have lots of disparate systems to manage, and they may need to set up multiple recovery workflows that are set in motion according to which systems are impacted by the disaster. Depending on their business needs, larger enterprises may look for separate business continuity management and disaster recovery solutions in order to benefit from specific features, or they may look for a solution that offers both feature sets in one for ease of management.
Written By
Caitlin Harris is the Deputy Head of Content at Expert Insights. As an experienced content writer and editor, Caitlin helps cybersecurity leaders to cut through the noise in the cybersecurity space with expert analysis and insightful recommendations.
Prior to Expert Insights, Caitlin worked at QA Ltd, where she produced award-winning technical training materials, and she has also produced journalistic content over the course of her career.
Caitlin has 8 years of experience in the cybersecurity and technology space, helping technical teams, CISOs, and security professionals find clarity on complex, mission critical topics like security awareness training, backup and recovery, and endpoint protection.
Caitlin also hosts the Expert Insights Podcast and co-writes the weekly newsletter, Decrypted.
Technical Review
Craig MacAlpine is CEO and Founder of Expert Insights. Before founding Expert Insights in August 2018, Craig spent 10 years as CEO of EPA Cloud, an email security provider that rebranded as VIPRE Email Security following its acquisition by Ziff Davies, formerly J2Global (NASQAQ: ZD) in 2013.
Craig is a passionate security innovator with over 20 years of experience helping organizations to stay secure with cutting-edge information security and cybersecurity solutions.
Using his extensive experience in the email security industry, he founded Expert Insights with the singular goal of helping IT professionals and CISOs to cut through the noise and find the right cybersecurity solutions they need to protect their organizations.