Business
Continuity and Disaster Recovery in Information Technology
1.
Introduction
In today’s digitally-driven organizations, IT
disruptions can cause significant operational, financial and reputational
damage. Business Continuity (BC) and Disaster Recovery (DR) planning are
critical to ensure that IT systems, data, and business operations continue
seamlessly during crises.
This course equips IT professionals and managers
with the knowledge and skills to develop, implement, and maintain robust BC
and DR plans, ensuring resilience against natural disasters, cyber-attacks,
system failures, and other disruptions.
2. Course
Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be
able to:
- Understand
the principles and frameworks of Business Continuity and Disaster
Recovery.
- Conduct
risk assessments and business impact analyses.
- Develop
comprehensive BC and DR strategies for IT systems.
- Implement
disaster recovery plans for critical IT infrastructure.
- Test,
maintain, and improve BC and DR plans continuously.
- Manage
IT incidents efficiently to minimize downtime.
- Ensure
compliance with regulatory and industry standards.
- Lead
organizational resilience initiatives through proactive planning.
3.
Targeted Group
This course is designed for:
- IT
Managers and System Administrators
- Network
and Security Engineers
- Business
Continuity and Risk Management Professionals
- Disaster
Recovery Coordinators
- IT
Project Managers
- Compliance
and Audit Officers
- Professionals
responsible for IT resilience and critical infrastructure management
4. Course
Duration
Total
Duration: 4 weeks
(96 contact hours)
Delivery Options:
- Instructor-led
classroom sessions
- Online
live interactive workshops
- Hands-on
labs and scenario simulations
5.
Training Methodology
- Lectures
and presentations on BC and DR principles.
- Hands-on
exercises in
developing and implementing DR plans.
- Case
studies
from real-world IT disruptions and recovery scenarios.
- Risk
assessments and business impact analysis workshops.
- Simulation
exercises to
test BC and DR plans.
- Group
discussions on
industry best practices and standards.
- Capstone
project
integrating BC and DR planning for a practical IT environment.
6. Course
Content
Module 1:
Introduction to Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery
- Definitions
and concepts
- Importance
of BC and DR in IT
- Overview
of global standards and frameworks
Module 2:
Risk Management Fundamentals
- Identifying
IT risks and threats
- Risk
assessment techniques
- Risk
mitigation strategies
Module 3:
Business Impact Analysis (BIA)
- Understanding
critical business processes
- Determining
recovery time objectives (RTO) and recovery point objectives (RPO)
- Prioritizing
IT assets and services
Module 4:
BC and DR Planning Frameworks
- Key
components of BC and DR plans
- Frameworks
(ISO 22301, NIST, ITIL)
- Roles
and responsibilities in planning
Module 5:
Disaster Recovery Strategies
- Backup
and recovery methods
- Cloud-based
and on-premises recovery solutions
- High
availability and redundancy strategies
Module 6:
IT Infrastructure Resilience
- Securing
servers, networks, and databases
- Virtualization
and disaster recovery options
- Data
center and network redundancy
Module 7:
Incident Response Planning
- Incident
detection and reporting
- Containment,
eradication, and recovery procedures
- Communication
during IT incidents
Module 8:
Cybersecurity Considerations in BC/DR
- Cyber
threats and vulnerabilities
- Integrating
cybersecurity with disaster recovery
- Protecting
critical IT assets
Module 9:
Business Continuity Plan Development
- Step-by-step
BC plan creation
- Aligning
IT and business continuity objectives
- Documentation
best practices
Module
10: Disaster Recovery Plan Implementation
- Implementing
recovery procedures for critical IT systems
- Resource
allocation and operational readiness
- Testing
recovery infrastructure
Module
11: Testing and Exercising BC and DR Plans
- Types
of tests (tabletop, simulation, full-scale)
- Metrics
and evaluation of plan effectiveness
- Continuous
improvement through testing
Module
12: Cloud and Virtualized Environment Recovery
- Disaster
recovery in cloud computing
- Recovery
of virtual machines and containers
- Cloud-specific
BC/DR strategies
Module
13: Regulatory Compliance and Standards
- ISO
22301, NIST, ITIL compliance requirements
- Audit
and documentation
- Reporting
obligations
Module
14: Communication and Crisis Management
- Internal
and external communication strategies
- Managing
stakeholders during IT disruptions
- Leadership
and decision-making in crisis
Module
15: Monitoring and Continuous Improvement
- Monitoring
IT systems and risk indicators
- Updating
and refining BC/DR plans
- Lessons
learned from incidents and drills
Module
16: Capstone Project – Comprehensive BC and DR Plan
- Develop
a full BC and DR plan for a simulated IT environment
- Integrate
risk assessment, BIA, and recovery strategies
- Present
the plan and implementation strategy
7.
Expected Outcomes
Upon successful completion, participants will be
able to:
- Develop
and maintain effective BC and DR plans for IT systems.
- Conduct
risk assessments and business impact analyses efficiently.
- Implement
recovery strategies to minimize downtime and data loss.
- Test,
evaluate, and improve BC and DR plans regularly.
- Ensure
IT continuity during disruptions and compliance with industry standards.
- Lead
organizational resilience and IT recovery initiatives confidently.
- Integrate
cybersecurity and cloud recovery strategies into BC/DR plans.
8.
Certificate of Completion
Participants who complete all modules, practical
exercises, and the capstone project will receive:
🎓 Certificate of Completion –
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery in Information Technology
Issued by: FOTADE Training, Research and Resource Development
Centre
This certificate validates the holder’s competence
in planning, implementing, and managing IT resilience strategies,
qualifying them for roles such as IT Disaster Recovery Manager, Business
Continuity Manager, IT Risk Analyst and IT Operations Manager.
