Critical Infrastructure Resilience and Data Recovery in Modern Enterprises

Critical Infrastructure Resilience and Data Recovery in Modern Enterprises 

When it comes to critical infrastructure, your systems' ability to endure disruptions, recover swiftly, and maintain operational integrity is paramount. For IT, data, and security leaders across the enterprise, this means building resilience into every layer of your technology stack, including often overlooked yet indispensable assets like the mainframe. 

We live in a world where $3 trillion in daily commerce, 75% of all enterprise data, and 30 billion transactions rely on mainframes. Yet, without a comprehensive data recovery approach and proper risk management strategy, many organizations leave themselves vulnerable to catastrophic consequences. From downtime that costs millions per hour to regulatory penalties like failing to meet DORA’s two-hour recovery requirement, the stakes are simply too high. 

This article explores why critical infrastructure resilience is non-negotiable, where data recovery fits in, and offers strategic guidance on prioritizing critical systems, such as the mainframe, in your resilience planning. 

Critical Infrastructure Resilience Is Crucial 

Critical infrastructure doesn't just power your operations; it defines your organization's ability to survive and thrive during disruption. If critical systems fail, the cascading effects could halt payroll processing, restrict access to funds, impact customer purchases, disrupt travel bookings, and erode essential services that people rely on every day. The reputational damage, coupled with operational and financial losses, can devastate businesses of any size. 

The High Stakes of Downtime and Data Loss 

• Downtime Costs: IT downtime can cost businesses up to $5 million per hour in high-risk sectors, highlighting the dire need for strong continuity measures. 
• Compliance Risks: Regulations like DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act) demand stringent recovery measures, including restoring key data within two hours to demonstrate resilience capability.  
• Data Dependency: Enterprise ecosystems are data-driven; decisions, customer experiences, and operational efficiency hinge on the availability and integrity of critical data. 

Mainframes and Resilience Initiatives 

For enterprises, mainframes often hold the keys to critical functions, housing the majority of operational and transactional data. Yet, many organizations fail to integrate the mainframe into their broader resilience strategies, leaving a major gap in their ability to effectively respond to disruptions. 

Failing to include mainframe systems in your risk management plan results in: 

• Inaccurate Compliance Reporting: Without mainframe integration, your regulatory reporting lacks a vital component. 
• Heightened Vulnerabilities: Overlooked vulnerabilities on the mainframe create entry points for cyberattacks. 
• Extended Recovery Times: Without optimized recovery approaches, bringing mainframes back online often takes excessively long, compounding downtime costs. 

Building Resilience with a Strong Data Recovery Strategy 

Developing a robust resilience framework starts with aligning infrastructure, technology, and people to minimize risks and maximize recovery readiness. Here are six steps to take your resilience plan to the next level: 

1. Risk Assessment. Understand the vulnerabilities within your infrastructure by conducting a thorough risk assessment. Pay special attention to systems like the mainframe that form the backbone of your operations. Evaluate how these assets are currently protected and identify any weak links in your data continuity plan. 

2. Comprehensive Disaster Recovery Planning. A detailed disaster recovery (DR) plan is the foundation of resilience. This should include data backup strategies that ensure redundancy across hybrid IT environments, clear incident response procedures to guide operations through recovery efforts and testing and simulation for routine validation of recovery protocols. 

Gartner reports that poorly designed DR plans often lead to recovery failures, so frequent testing and updates are non-negotiable. 

3. Leverage Advanced Recovery Tools. Adopting innovative tools designed for surgical data recovery can make all the difference when minutes matter. These solutions offer capabilities that allow organizations to recover specific datasets at the application level, demonstrate compliance with stringent regulations by executing point-in-time recovery within narrow timeframes, and automate backups and streamline recovery processes. 

4. Secure Data Across Platforms. As hybrid IT becomes the new normal, securing data across on-premises systems, cloud environments, and other platforms is critical. Resilience initiatives must focus on two things—encryption for data in transit and at rest to prevent breaches, and authentication mechanisms like multi-factor authentication to limit unauthorized access. 

5. Educate and Align Teams. Infrastructure resilience is only as strong as the people managing it. Ensure your teams are trained to understand their roles in disaster scenarios. Regular drills, clear documentation, and executive buy-in are vital for effective coordination. 

6. Regulatory Adherence. Every resilience strategy must address compliance. With regulations like DORA emphasizing tight recovery timelines, investing in robust data recovery solutions ensures your ability to meet these stringent requirements while also proving recoverability to auditors. 

Critical Infrastructure Disruptions in the Real World 

Insufficient resilience measure result in some very harsh consequences for organizations in their wake. Something as simple as an update to IT systems done without the proper vetting can result in widespread failures and damage.  

Apply that risk to a setting like the mainframe and it becomes even more clear how important it is to effectively monitor and control environments to catch any changes before a problem occurs. The need for both proactive measures and robust recovery capabilities simply cannot be overstated. 

How Surgical Recovery Empowers Resilience 

A surgical recovery solution like Rocket^® Rapid Data Recovery complements broader resilience efforts by providing: 

1. Granular, Point-in-Time Recovery: Recover only the data you need from snapshots, enabling faster recovery with minimal disruption.  
2. Streamlined Recovery Workflows: Reduce the time and complexity involved in traditional recovery processes. 
3. Regulatory Compliance: Meet internal and federal recovery mandates, including DORA’s two-hour recovery window. 
4. Enhanced Agility and Security: Prepare your organization for unforeseen disruptions with a solution that aligns with modern resilience requirements. 

Resilience is Non-negotiable 

Building critical infrastructure resilience is no longer optional; it’s a business imperative. Without it, you risk losing more than just operational uptime and data. From regulatory penalties to customer trust, the costs of inaction far outweigh the investment required to bolster resilience. 

Incorporating essential assets like the mainframe into your resilience planning and leveraging advanced recovery tools, ensures your organization’s operational continuity, regulatory compliance, and ability to adapt to challenges. 

Learn how your organization can build a tailored resilience strategy that protects critical systems at all times.