13.6.2  Disaster Recovery Management

Specification Content/Learning Outcomes

Disaster recovery management looks at how Information Systems are vulnerable to a wide variety of threats to security and how the risks associated with these threats can be minimised.
  • Describe the various potential threats to information systems. Factors could include; physical security, document security, personnel security, hardware security, communications security, software security.
     
  • Understand the concept of risk analysis.
     
  • Understand the commercial need to ensure that an information system is protected from threat.
     
  • Describe a range of contingency plans to recover from disasters and relate these to identified threats.
     
  • Describe the criteria used to select a contingency plan appropriate to the scale of an organisation and installation.
     
  • Understand the need to develop training strategies to respond to growing user awareness.

Resources - Disaster Recovery Management

Key to resources: PowerPoint presentation Word file Acrobat file
  Internet resource        

 

Resource

Type

Size

 Notes
Computer Disasters

n/a Very interesting and useful page from the KJS. Good insights for all aspects of 13.6.
Disaster recovery

29Kb Notes from David Yates.
Disaster planning

75Kb Short PowerPoint presentation based on Heathcote Ch.46.
Disaster recovery

103Kb PowerPoint presentation from Chris Brown.
Risk analysis techniques

n/a A good explanation of RAT from the Disaster Recovery Journal

Add/suggest new resources - Click here to suggest new resources relevant to this topic. Do NOT add attachments e.g. Word documents to your suggestions as these will be discarded.

Reading - Disaster Recovery Management

Texts other than Heathcote can be found in the ICT section of the Library Resource Centre.

Key to reading: Heathcote - Core Text Internet resource Other book
  Handout/worksheet        

 

Reading

Type

Size

 Notes
Security Policies

n/a Heathcote Ch.45 Pages 248 - 253
Disaster Recovery

n/a Heathcote Ch.46 Pages 254 - 256
Legal and security aspects

n/a Doyle Ch.14 Pages 210 -225
Threats to information systems

32Kb One page Word handout concentrating on Personnel Controls.
Risk analysis

25Kb Word handout about the concept of risk analysis and contingency planning.

Practice questions/homework - Disaster Recovery Management

Key to questions: Past exam question Heathcote question

Other question
  FatMax assignment Smokin' Dog assignment

 

Reference

Type

Size

 Question
1. ICT4 Question

n/a

A company has procedures to backup the data files held on its computer system on a regular basis.

Explain why recovery procedures should also be in place.
(3 marks)
2. ICT4 Question

n/a An Internet sales company carries out its business with the assistance of a database system running on a network of PCs. The main tasks are the processing of customer orders and the logging of payments. You have been asked to advise the company on backup strategies and to explain their importance.

(a). Give two reasons why it is essential that this company has a backup strategy. (2)

(b). State five factors that should be considered in a backup strategy, illustrating each factor with an example. (10)
(12 marks)
3. ICT4 Question

n/a Employees can often be responsible for causing loss or damage to their company’s data. Regular backups are taken by the company, but in order to prevent employees from causing such loss or damage, describe:

(a). two measures that could be incorporated into the hardware used; (4)

(b). two software features that could be used; (4)

(c). two other procedures that the company could introduce. (4)
(12 marks)
4. Heathcote disaster recovery question.

n/a A small company runs a network of four PCs on which it keeps records of stock, customer accounts, a mailing list and a multitude of word-processed documents.  Draw up a security plan for this company to ensure that it will be able to continue operating normally within a day or so of a disaster such as a fire.
(20 marks)
5. Heathcote disaster recovery question.

n/a Describe five facilities that may be provided by a Disaster recovery Service to which a major bank may subscribe/
(5 marks)
6. Disaster recovery scenarios 1
(adapted from Doyle)

n/a

What can organisations do in order to minimise the damage caused by:
(a) a power cut
(b) a virus attack
(c) an inexperienced worker wiping magnetic media by mistake
(6 marks)
7. Disaster recovery scenarios 2
(adapted from Doyle)

 

n/a What can organisations do in order to minimise the damage caused by:
(a) the deliberate alteration of data by hackers
(b) key members of staff leaving with the organisation's expertise
(c) loss of communication in a WAN
(6 marks)
8. Disaster recovery scenarios 3
(adapted from Doyle)

n/a What can organisations do in order to minimise the damage caused by:
(a) loss of premises due to a fire or flood
(b) deliberate destruction of data by a disgruntled employee.
(4 marks)
9. 1998 NEAB IT04 Question 9

n/a "Information systems are mission critical, the consequences of failure could prove disastrous." Discuss this statement, including in your discussion
  • the potential threats to the system
  • The concept of risk analysis
  • the corporate consequences of systems failure
  • the factors which should be considered when designing the contingency plan to enable a recovery from disaster.

Quality of language will be assessed in this question.
(20 Marks)
10. ICT4 Question (part c is especially relevant to this topic)

n/a A Medical Practice has installed a new information system that links patient records and prescriptions to the financial systems of the practice. The financial records must be secure against fraud as they are used to claim money from the Health Authority.

(a). Describe four factors that should be included in an IT security policy for the practice. (8)

(b). Describe one measure the practice could take to show that their records were accurate. (2)

(c). Describe three criteria that could be used to select a disaster contingency plan to recover from a breakdown of this system. (6)

(16 marks)

 

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