Is your business ready for the unexpected? Why Disaster Recovery sites are critical to resilience

Imagine this: Your team is halfway through the busiest quarter of the year. Systems are humming, customer demand is peaking, and then it happens.

A power surge knocks out your data centre. Or floodwaters creep through your building overnight. Or a ransomware attack locks up every critical application by sunrise.

Suddenly, your business is paralysed. No access to data. No customer support. No sales. Staff are scrambling, customers are angry, and leadership is in crisis mode. So what’s the recovery? Quite simply, it could take days – or weeks – if you’re not prepared.

Now imagine if your business had a fully equipped disaster recovery site, ready to activate within hours. A workspace your team could walk into and continue operations with minimal disruption. Systems are online, phones are ringing, and your customers never even noticed the outage.

That’s the power of strategic business continuity planning, and the essential role of a Disaster Recovery (DR) site.

What is a disaster recovery site?

So what is it? For starters, a disaster recovery site is a secure, fully-equipped facility that allows your business to continue operating after a disruption to your primary location, whether caused by physical events like fire or flood, or digital threats like ransomware.

Think of it as your business’s ‘Plan B headquarters,’ which is ready to step in at a moment’s notice to keep your operations, people, and systems online and running smoothly.

But not all DR sites are created equal. In fact, CIOs must ensure the facility is more than just a backup location. Instead, it must be resilient, secure, and fit-for-purpose, designed to meet both current and future needs.

But let’s face it: Despite the stakes, many organisations still take a ‘reactive approach’ to disaster planning.

Only 11% of IT leaders globally say they feel fully prepared for a disaster recovery event, according to Gartner Peer Insights. “IT professionals cite manual recovery techniques (47%), lack of testing (46%) and having multiple recovery tools (37%) as their most common challenges.”

So let’s examine three key features every successful DR strategy needs, and why it’s no longer optional.

3 features every DR site must have

1. Fit-for-purpose facilities

During a crisis, the last thing your team needs is to be crammed into outdated, uncomfortable, or under-resourced facilities. Your DR site should mirror the environment your people are used to working in so they can hit the ground running with minimal disruption.

Lesson learned: Many businesses overlook the human element in disaster recovery planning. Comfortable, well-equipped facilities directly influence staff morale and recovery speed.

Interactive’s take: We custom-design our DR suites to meet your specific needs, from ergonomic workspaces to high-speed connectivity and seamless access to business systems. And we regularly test these environments to ensure they’re always ready.

2. Flexibility for your budget and risk appetite

There’s no one-size-fits-all in disaster recovery. Some businesses need dedicated DR suites with bespoke configurations and maximum privacy. Others benefit from the cost-efficiency of shared or multi-subscriber environments.

Whatever your business model or industry, your provider should be able to tailor a solution that balances risk, cost, and recovery time objectives (RTOs).

Dedicated suites offer:

• Custom layouts
• Enhanced security (fingerprint or Port Access card (PAC) access)
• Private printing and data protection options

Shared suites offer:

• Cost-effective options
• Faster provisioning
• Tiered service levels

Did you know? According to TechDay, Australian organisations with over 500 employees incur an average financial loss of AUD $251,000 per incident due to unplanned downtime, adding up to a potential national cost of AUD $86 billion. These findings come from the report ‘Downtime: A Rising Challenge for Organisations in Australia & New Zealand.’

Interactive’s difference: We work with you to determine the right fit, starting with a full risk assessment. Our shared and dedicated environments are backed by over 30 years of expertise and rigorous service-level commitments.

3. End-to-End security and compliance

A true disaster recovery solution must be more than just functional; it must be secure, resilient, and fully compliant. With ever-evolving regulations across APRA, ISO, and the ACSC Essential Eight, your DR provider must maintain current certifications and demonstrate robust operational protocols that align with Australian and international standards.

This is particularly important for organisations operating in regulated industries such as financial services, healthcare, and government. Organisations where compliance frameworks are frequently updated, and failure to adhere can result in significant risk and penalties. Your DR partner should be proactive in understanding these changes and committed to offering fully compliant solutions at all times.

A disaster recovery site must have built-in resiliency. That includes:

• ISO 27001 Information Security certification
• Generator and UPS power redundancy
• Fire detection and suppression systems
• Continuous monitoring and access control
• Compliance with Australian data protection laws

Interactive’s advantage: All our facilities are ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 certified, power-protected, fully managed and monitored. With in-house engineers on-site 24×7, 365 days a year, and extensive experience across regulated sectors, we ensure your people, operations, and data remain secure, compliant, and always ready.

Why it matters now more than ever

Australia’s risk landscape is intensifying.

In fact, the cyber risk landscape is becoming increasingly volatile. In the 2023–24 financial year, the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) received over 36,700 calls to the Australian Cyber Security Hotline – a 12% increase from the previous year. During the same period, ASD responded to more than 1,100 cybersecurity incidents, highlighting the persistent targeting of Australian systems and the ongoing threat to critical infrastructure and national networks.

Meanwhile, climate-related events, including floods, bushfires, and extreme heat, continue to test physical infrastructure. It’s clear: Resilience is the new competitive advantage.

Key takeaway: Business continuity is no longer a checkbox. It’s a core pillar of strategic risk management, and DR sites are a tangible expression of that commitment to resilience.

Why CIOs choose Interactive

For over three decades, Interactive has helped organisations prepare for the unexpected, and emerge stronger. Our business continuity facilities are built with mission-critical operations in mind. We partner with clients across finance, government, healthcare, education, and more.

With a national network of DR sites, flexible suite options, and hands-on support, we serve as a seamless extension of your operations – keeping your business connected, protected, and ready for anything.

• ISO-certified facilities
• Onsite engineering teams
• Customisable recovery plans
• 24/7 availability
• Proven track record in high-risk industries

Take the next step toward resilience

Is your business truly disaster-ready? Now is the time to review, test, and invest in a continuity plan that protects your people, your data, and your reputation.

See it for yourself. Book a private tour of our modern and secure business continuity suites, and discover how Interactive can help your business stay online when it matters most.