What does a disaster recovery plan primarily ensure?

A disaster recovery plan is designed to ensure the rapid restoration of services following an incident that disrupts normal operations. This includes outlining the specific steps and procedures that need to be followed to recover data, reinstate systems, and restore business functions with minimal downtime. The primary goal is to minimize the impact of disruptions and restore critical services as quickly as possible to support the overall business continuity strategy.

While a disaster recovery plan may have secondary effects on cost-effectiveness and regulatory compliance, its main focus is on the recovery process itself. It does not aim to prevent all incidents, as that is not feasible; instead, it prepares an organization to respond effectively when disruptions occur. This underscores why the focus of a disaster recovery plan is fundamentally about rapid recovery rather than prevention or cost considerations.