BCP vs DRP: Planning for Disruption and Recovery
Distinguish business continuity planning (keeping operations running) from disaster recovery planning (restoring IT systems) and understand when each applies.
Business Continuity vs Disaster Recovery
Business Continuity Planning (BCP) and Disaster Recovery Planning (DRP) are related but distinct disciplines. BCP focuses on keeping business operations running during a disruption — through manual processes, alternate sites, or degraded service modes. DRP focuses specifically on restoring IT systems and infrastructure after a disaster. BCP is the broader umbrella: DRP is one component of BCP that handles the technology recovery aspect. Both plans must be documented, tested, and kept current.
What Triggers a BCP or DRP?
BCP and DRP are activated by disruptive events that exceed normal operational incident response. Triggers include: ransomware attacks that encrypt critical systems, natural disasters (flood, earthquake, tornado damaging the primary data center), infrastructure failures (extended power outage, ISP outage), pandemics or public health emergencies (COVID-19 proved the importance of remote work continuity plans), and supply chain disruptions that prevent replacement hardware from being obtained.
All lessons in this course
- BCP vs DRP: Planning for Disruption and Recovery
- RTO, RPO, and MTTR: Defining Recovery Objectives
- Backup Strategies: 3-2-1 Rule and Immutable Backups
- Failover Testing: Tabletop Exercises and DR Drills