Prepare for a DRP Audit

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Being prepared for a DRP audit is no longer optional. It is only a matter of time as more attention is focused on DR capability.
Customers are demanding evidence of DR capability, so even unregulated industries are required to ensure they have a functional DRP.
Despite the increased emphasis on DR, most organizations still struggle with DR planning.

Our Advice

Critical Insight

Leverage a DRP audit to raise the profile of DR among senior management and get buy-in to invest in closing DR gaps. Make the DRP audit a help rather than a hindrance.
Get the most out of your audit preparation by focusing on evaluating and closing DR gaps rather than only on creating documentation.
Avoid audit chaos by conducting an internal maturity assessment as a preliminary step before a formal request from regulators or customers.

Impact and Result

Define your current DRP maturity at the start of the project. This will help you identify where to focus your efforts.
Determine the appropriate DRP maturity target and quantify your current DRP gaps for senior management. This process will help drive buy-in to invest in closing DR gaps.
Create concise usable documentation that meets the needs of your IT team as well as your auditor. Don’t waste your effort by creating documentation that satisfies the auditor but is not usable during a disaster.

Prepare for a DRP Audit Research & Tools

Start here – read the Executive Brief

Read our concise Executive Brief to find out why you should prepare for a DRP audit, review Info-Tech’s methodology, and understand the four ways we can support you in completing this project.

Prepare for a DRP Audit – Executive Brief

1. Determine current DRP maturity

Identify DRP gaps by assessing the current maturity of the DRP.

2. Review critical elements of the DRP

Close relevant DRP gaps by leveraging Info-Tech’s additional DR resources.

3. Prepare DRP audit documentation

Create concise and usable DRP documentation that meets the needs of the IT team as well as the auditor.

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Keeping me clear of my objectives and not being talked into additional security services that don't meet my immediate goals.

Workshop: Prepare for a DRP Audit

Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.

Module 1: Determine if this Workshop is the Best Fit for Your Requirements (Pre-Workshop)

The Purpose

Evaluate your current DRP status and how Info-Tech can best help you close your DR gaps.
Understand your specific audit requirements.

Key Benefits Achieved

Determine which Info-Tech DRP service offering best meets your needs.
Incorporate your audit requirements into the goals for this project.

Activities

Outputs

1.1

Assess your current DRP maturity.

DRP Maturity Scorecard preliminary results

1.2

Determine the appropriateness of this workshop. If key elements such as a BIA and at least a high-level incident response plan are not in place, the Create a Right-Sized Disaster Recovery Plan GI or workshop is a better starting point.

1.3

Review your specific audit requirements.

Module 2: Determine DRP Maturity and Gaps

The Purpose

Determine your baseline DRP maturity.
Identify and prioritize DRP gaps.
Prioritize documentation deliverables for this workshop based on DRP gaps.

Key Benefits Achieved

Objective analysis of your current DRP status.
Prioritized goals for this workshop.

Activities

Outputs

2.1

Re-assess DRP maturity with the workshop participants to gain a common understanding of current status and gaps.

DRP Maturity Scorecard updated results

2.2

Review and validate your DRP incident response plan (IRP) with a tabletop planning exercise.

2.3

Prioritize documentation deliverables to complete during this workshop.

DRP gaps identified and prioritized

Module 3: Finalize DR Procedures for Key Systems (Onsite - Day 2 and 3)

The Purpose

Assess your current DR IRP.
Determine and initiate documentation required for your DR procedures.
Define DR roles and responsibilities.

Key Benefits Achieved

High-level IRP reviewed, validated, and updated.
A structured approach to document DR procedures, roles, and responsibilities.

Activities

Outputs

3.1

Update the high-level IRP for key systems.

Updated DRP Incident Response Plan (IRP)

3.2

Create supporting documentation for key steps in the IRP.

DR procedures for key systems

3.3

Ensure roles and responsibilities for the steps in the IRP are defined.

Documented roles and responsibilities

Module 4: Create the DRP Summary Document (Onsite - Day 4)

The Purpose

Summarize DR capabilities and DRP status for the audit.
Determine remaining action items for the audit.

Key Benefits Achieved

Audit-ready DRP summary document.
Prioritized list of tasks to complete for the audit.

Activities

Outputs

4.1

Document your BIA results, including RTO/RPO tiers.

DRP summary document draft.

4.2

Create an audit-ready summary of your DR procedures and overall strategy.

4.3

Identify and prioritize remaining audit deliverables to complete through our Guided Implementation.

Prioritized list of remaining deliverables to prepare for the audit.

About Info-Tech

Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.

We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

Table of Contents

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Guided Implementation 1: Determine current DRP maturity

Call 1: Conduct a DRP maturity assessment.
Call 2: Review your additional audit requirements.
Call 3: Determine which DRP gaps should be prioritized.

Guided Implementation 2: Review critical elements of the DRP

Call 1: Close gaps in asset management, BIA, and risk management.
Call 2: Close gaps in DR procedures, DR solutions, and DR awareness.
Call 3: Close gaps in DR testing, documentation management, and DR integration with change management.

Guided Implementation 3: Prepare DRP audit documentation

Call 1: Review and complete the DRP summary document.
Call 2: Create a DRP audit review process that transforms audit insights into improved DR capabilities.

Authors

Frank Trovato

David Xu

Contributors

Dr. Bernard A. Jones, Manager Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery – HSE&BC, Novartis Business Services
Steve Tower, Management Consultant, Disaster Recovery Plans & Assessments
Anonymous, Associate Director at a University