21 BCDR acronyms and terms you need to know
Prepare
3-2-1 Backup Rule
An industry best practice that involves saving 3 copies of data on 2 different storage types in multiple locations, with 1 offsite version (unplugged, not network accessible, not including the cloud.)
Business Impact Analysis (BIA)
An audit of current operations within an organization and evaluation of the potential effects of an incident on the business functions.
Data Backup
The process of creating copies of data and important information in case an incident occurs.
Intrusion Detection System (IDS)
A network security tool that detects and monitors a system but cannot take action on a threat.
Risk Assessment
A big-picture snapshot of your current risk exposure — revealing vulnerabilities and uncovering opportunities to improve defenses.
Tabletop Exercise (TTX)
An interactive, group activity that examine how an organization’s crisis team would respond to a scenario to identify and resolve gaps in the business continuity and disaster recovery plans.
Recover
Alternative Work Area
A designated area or location for an organization to relocate following an incident.
Business Continuity Plan (BCP)
A written strategy of the procedure an organization will follow to keep business functions running after a disruptive incident.
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR)
A solution to reduce business downtime, mitigate legal ramifications, and save SMBs from losing money as the result of disasters, whether natural or human-made.
Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)
A documented procedure for an organization to follow to recover from a disaster that impacts normal operations.
Downtime
The period of time where an organization’s systems or networks are unavailable due to an incident.
Incident
An event that has a negative impact on the security structure of an organization.
Incident Response (IR)
A formal, documented, and organized approach to managing the effects of a security incident or cyberattack.
Intrusion Prevention System (IPS)
A network security and threat prevention tool that takes action if a threat is identified.
Maximum Tolerable Period of Disruption (MTPD)
The amount of time of downtime and organization can endure before causing significant harm to the business functions.
Recovery Level Objective (RLO)
The minimum number of resources an organization needs to recover in the aftermath of a disruptive event.
Recovery Point Objective (RPO)
The maximum amount of data you can afford to lose before causing your business serious harm. This number is essential as it dictates how often you need to back up.
Recovery Time Objective (RTO)
The maximum amount of downtime your business can afford. Your RTO takes into account how much time you can lose and the potential impact on your bottom line.
People
Crisis Management Team (CMT)
A group of people responsible for protecting an organization and its data following a disaster.
Network Operations Center (NOC)
A centralized location where a team of IT professionals monitor and manage the performance and security of remote monitoring and management software.
Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
Any information used to identify an individual, including name, address, phone number, SSN, etc.
