Tech Resilience: How Technology Resiliency Safeguards Profits?
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Co-founder and CEO at Attract Group
9 minutes read
22 April 2024Share
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In 2023, 88 million Americans were hit by healthcare data breaches. This highlights the need for tech resilience in our digital age. Companies with resilient tech systems can handle disruptions. They protect profits and maintain service quality during crises.
Key Takeaways
- Resilient technology ensures continuous service delivery despite disruptions.
- Components like agility, scalability, and interoperability are vital for resilience.
- Understanding process criticality and risk tolerance is essential for developing robust systems.
- Organizations with mature technology resilience can recover swiftly from crises.
- Withstand disruptions is crucial in mitigating the impact on business operations.
Definition of Resilient Technology
Resilient technology is about practices and operations that strengthen IT. It lets businesses maintain service levels during disruptions. This approach helps manage system failures without major outages or losing data.
Components of Resilience
- Agility: Agility refers to the ability of a system or organization to quickly adapt to changes and respond to unexpected challenges. It involves rapid decision-making and the ability to pivot strategies as needed to address new situations.
- Scalability: Scalability is the capacity of a system to handle increasing amounts of work or to be easily expanded to accommodate growth. A scalable system can efficiently manage more users, data, or transactions without a significant drop in performance.
- Flexibility: Flexibility is the ability to modify or adjust processes and systems in response to new conditions or requirements. It emphasizes the capacity to adapt operational procedures and configurations without extensive downtime or disruption.
- Recoverability: Recoverability refers to the ability to restore normal operations after a disruption or failure. It includes having backup systems, disaster recovery plans, and procedures in place to ensure that services can be quickly resumed after an incident.
- Interoperability: Interoperability is the ability of different systems, organizations, or components to work together seamlessly. It ensures that systems can exchange information, use shared resources, and function cohesively within a broader ecosystem.
Our expert team can assess your current systems and develop a custom resilience strategy tailored to your business needs
Insights from Industry Surveys
Experts from McKinsey and FERMA show that business resilience is key today. It’s vital for getting through tough times and coming out strong. A solid resilience strategy keeps operations smooth and profits safe even when unexpected troubles hit.
Recovery from Catastrophic Events
Now, companies are really focusing on resilience. The COVID-19 pandemic taught us the importance of being ready for anything. Businesses are changing fast to stay efficient and cope with new challenges. Moreover, 57% of all surveyed, and 62% in big firms, are getting ready to invest in new tech to handle risks better.
These surveys pinpoint the big challenges and chances in various industries. For instance, 54% see switching to new energy as a big chance. Meanwhile, 47% think changing customer needs are big challenges. Being resilient means not just getting through hard times, but also finding new ways to succeed.
Recovery Time Objectives for Critical Applications
Knowing how quickly your company can get back to business after a problem is what Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) are all about. They are crucial in fields like the auto industry, which faces supply chain risks, or energy companies focusing on safety to reduce hazards by 30%. These facts show why having clear RTOs matters a lot for recovery plans.
But only half of the people asked looked at their risks after something went wrong; 46% did it when heading into new markets. A third of CEOs say cyber risks are a major concern. This highlights the need for a smart strategy that includes being ready beforehand and reacting well to problems to keep businesses resilient.
| Focus Area | Percentage | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Transition to new energy sources | 54% | Seen as the biggest opportunity among external disruptors. |
| Changes in customer demand | 47% | Significant external disruptor for businesses. |
| Supply chain disruption | 42% | Considered more of a risk than an opportunity. |
| GenAI opportunity | 60% | Viewed as a potential for developing new business lines. |
| Technology investment preparation | 57% | Cited as a primary factor for reviewing the risk landscape. |
| Risk event triggered landscape review | 50% | Triggering a review of their risk management strategies. |
| Cyber risk exposure | 33% | Acknowledged by CEO respondents. |
Principles of Technology Resilience
Understanding resilience in technology is key for keeping an organization stable in the long run. It involves strong architecture and design, along with proactive actions in deployment and operations. Setting up good monitoring and validations is also crucial for quick action and recovery during disruptions.
Architecture and Design
The base of tech resilience lies in solid architecture and design. It’s important for organizations to build an IT setup that naturally supports resilience. This means using redundant systems, designing for failover, and planning for disaster recovery. These steps help keep operations smooth and allow for fast recovery if problems arise.
Deployment and Operations
Being proactive in deployment and operations strengthens resilience. Things like regular risk checks, frequent backups, and fault-tolerant systems prepare organizations for surprises. A 2022 McKinsey survey showed 10 percent of companies had to rebuild everything from scratch after disasters. Yet, only 2 percent couldn’t recover, showing the power of ready resilience strategies.
Monitoring and Validation
Good monitoring and validation practices are pillars of tech resilience. Regular checks help find issues early so they can be fixed before they grow. The McKinsey survey found that 60 percent of companies check their critical apps at least every three months. Around 14 percent do it weekly. This shows ongoing checks are vital for system health.
Response and Recovery
Having solid plans for response and recovery is central to resilience principles. Well-practiced disaster recovery plans help businesses bounce back quickly after trouble. The McKinsey survey said 28 percent of companies could get their most critical apps back right away. This stresses the importance of quick recovery. Following these principles helps organizations withstand problems with less impact and keep running smoothly.
| Metrics | Responses (%) |
|---|---|
| Rebuild from bare metal due to catastrophic event | 10% |
| Unsuccessful bare metal recovery attempts | 2% |
| Successful bare metal recovery | 20% |
| Plans to attempt bare metal recovery | 18% |
Technology Resilience Maturity Levels
The growth of an organization’s tech resilience shows in different stages. As firms move up these levels, they add better strategies for staying strong against interruptions.
Level 1: Basic Capabilities
At Level 1, organizations start building their defense. They mainly use simple backup ways to deal with problems. It’s a beginning, but it’s missing forward-thinking and full risk handling.
Level 2: Passive Capabilities
Level 2 brings in passive steps. Firms now use basic systems for watching and reacting. They see how crucial tech resilience is but still depend a lot on manual actions and reacting after issues happen.
Level 3: Active Resilience
Level 3 is where active steps come into play. Firms begin to use plans that stop trouble before it starts or lessen harm quickly. They use live watching, auto-switching during failures, and smart predictions.
Level 4: Inherent Resilience by Design
By Level 4, resilience is part of the whole IT setup from the start. Firms plan systems to be strong against threats right from the beginning. This level means resilience is just a normal part of everyday work.
To reach Level 4, organizations should follow a strong roadmap. They start with the basics and then bring in more complex steps like proactive plans and built-in strong design, aiming for lasting tech strength.
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Building a Resilient Technology Environment
Making a strong tech environment needs many steps. It includes culture, measuring success, and practice scenarios. A good plan ensures things work well and last a long time.
Blame-Free Culture
A culture without blame is key for openness and solving problems together. It lets employees talk about issues without fear. This openness leads to better monitoring and quick fixes for tech problems.
Metric-Driven Approach
It’s important to use data to check how well IT systems work. This way, companies can see how well their safety nets hold up. Checking risks often and using data helps make things better and keeps systems safe from new dangers.
Rehearsing Outages
Practicing for outages is a must to get good at responding. Teams can get better at dealing with real problems by simulating them. This kind of prep lowers the impact of issues and builds a team ready for anything.
In the end, making a tech space that can bounce back needs a few things. There must be no fear of blame, a focus on data, and practice for problems. All these help create a system that can withstand challenges, keeping a business strong and ready for the future.
Risk-Based Resilience
Implementing risk-based resilience means finding and protecting key parts of an organization’s tech. It’s important to know that not all systems are equally crucial. This approach helps companies focus on the most essential systems, reducing damage if there’s a problem.
Recognizing Varying Criticality of Assets
Companies have assets that are more important than others. By understanding this, businesses can focus on protecting the most vital systems. Over $8 trillion in assets along the coast, from Texas to New York, underline the need for good risk management. A smart approach ensures the protection of these essential systems from threats.
Focusing on Most Critical Systems and Capabilities
It’s key to concentrate on the most critical systems and capabilities. Doing this guards the most crucial parts of an organization. With much of the U.S. population growth near coastlines, strong infrastructure matters. This helps in keeping operations going, even when things go wrong.
Good planning and risk assessment build strong tech systems that can handle problems. Emphasizing protection helps companies deal with risks, like those from technology dependence. The recent pandemic showed how important this is.
| Key Focus Area | Description |
|---|---|
| Criticality of Assets | Prioritizing most essential assets to ensure efficient resource allocation and protection against threats. |
| Proactive Risk Assessment | Assessing potential risks in advance to develop robust, resilient technology frameworks. |
| Mitigating Impacts | Implementing strategies to minimize disruptions and adverse outcomes from system compromises. |
By adding these key areas to their risk management, organizations can strengthen their resilience. This means they can keep operations reliable and ongoing, even when unexpected challenges arise.
Key Strategies for Creating a Robust IT Infrastructure
Businesses today depend greatly on sophisticated tech systems. A strong IT infrastructure is key for keeping data safe and operations running smoothly. We’ll cover important steps to make your IT setup reliable against disruptions.
Disaster Recovery Planning
Having a solid plan for disasters helps keep downtime short and protects data. It’s vital to have systems in place for a quick bounce back after an incident. This means using things like load balancers and backing up your data regularly to guard against data loss from equipment issues or cyber threats.
Cybersecurity Measures
Defending against cyber dangers is vital for a strong IT setup. Good security practices like firewalls and systems that detect intruders keep data safe. Adding multiple security layers helps stop unauthorized entry and manage breaches. It’s also important to do regular checks and fix any weak spots in your software swiftly.
System Redundancy and Redundancy Planning
To prevent a total system failure, it’s critical to have backup systems in place. Setting up your infrastructure so it’s spread out and has alternates can make everything more sturdy. Using multiple pieces of hardware together and employing virtual tools can further protect against faults.
Regular Maintenance and Continuous Improvement
Keeping IT systems well-maintained means they work better and stay current. Aiming for ongoing enhancement allows companies to keep up with new needs, ensure systems are always ready, and support growth. Using automated tech can boost how well operations run. Making sure data is backed up in several places also makes recovery faster and reinforces your IT setup.
| Strategy | Key Benefits |
|---|---|
| Disaster Recovery Planning | Minimizes downtime, protects data integrity, and supports rapid recovery. |
| Cybersecurity Measures | Prevents unauthorized access, contains intrusions, and secures critical assets. |
| System Redundancy | Enhances infrastructure resilience, improves reliability, and ensures continuous uptime. |
| Regular Maintenance | Keeps systems up-to-date, supports growth, and facilitates efficient data restoration. |
The Technology Resilience Journey
The journey to strong technology resilience is step-by-step and planned. It starts by looking at current technology methods and making improvement goals. For example, DBS Bank saw gaps in four main areas: governing tech risks, managing incidents, making systems robust, and managing changes. Assessing oneself like this helps lay a strong groundwork for the resilience journey.
Assessing Current State and Setting Goals
To assess the current situation, one must understand the tech scene, pinpoint weak spots, and note the strengths. DBS allocated $60 million to make its systems more tough. They also improved management by splitting technology and operations into two groups. Setting goals from this assessment, organizations can focus on improving where it’s needed most.
Developing a Roadmap for Resilience
Creating a detailed plan for resilience is key to setting directions and milestones. Alessandro Hatami talks about needing new operating systems for the digital demands on banks. DBS is working on plans that include backup methods for vital applications. These methods are about knowing who owns and manages different tech issues, helping create a solid operational plan.
Implementing and Monitoring Progress
The last step involves putting resilience plans into action and watching them closely for any tweaks needed. DBS is boosting its in-house engineering skills and is keen on improving how it manages tech issues. It might take two years to fully integrate these changes. Keeping an eye on the progress helps adjust plans, ensuring the bank stays robust in the fast-changing world of digital banking.
Our team of skilled developers can help you assess, plan, and implement a comprehensive technology resilience strategy for your organization
FAQ
What is resilient technology?
Resilient technology helps IT operations keep going, even when problems occur. It prevents outages and data loss. This makes sure businesses can keep running smoothly when IT systems face issues.
Why is it important to understand process criticality, technology capabilities, business impact, and risk tolerance?
It’s vital to know about process importance, tech abilities, business effects, and risk levels. This knowledge lets organizations manage important processes better. They can make their tech stronger, understand business outcomes, and match their risk comfort. This is key for building a good resilience strategy.
How do organizations typically recover from catastrophic events?
To bounce back from big disasters, organizations need strong resilience systems and disaster plans. They must understand critical apps’ recovery times, check risks ahead of time, and plan strategically.
What are Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) and why are they important?
RTOs are goals for getting critical apps working again after a problem. They matter because they guide how fast a company must fix operations to lower business losses.
What principles underline effective technology resilience?
Strong tech resilience relies on good design, active management, and smart monitoring. It also needs effective emergency responses and recovery plans that are regularly tested.
What is the importance of fostering a blame-free culture in building a resilient technology environment?
A no-blame culture matters because it promotes open talks and smart fixes. This helps IT operations keep improving and adapting.
How does a metric-driven approach contribute to technology resilience?
Using metrics lets companies check how strong and prepared their IT is. It means resilience is based on data, not guesses.
Why is rehearsing outages beneficial for IT resilience?
Practice runs of outages make sure emergency plans work well. It gets the organization ready by finding and fixing problems early.
What does risk-based resilience entail?
Risk-based resilience focuses on safeguarding the most crucial technology parts. It means putting resources and protections where they’re needed most.
What are the key strategies for creating a robust IT infrastructure?
The main tactics include disaster recovery plans, top-notch cybersecurity, avoiding single failure points, and regular upkeep.
How should an organization begin its technology resilience journey?
Starting with tech resilience means assessing current tech, setting improvement goals, planning a resilience path, and tracking progress flexibly.
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