You build business continuity and disaster recovery with tested backups, replication and failover for your critical systems, and a clear, written plan for getting back up. The aim is that a server failure, a cyber attack or an outage does not stop the business: you can keep working or recover quickly. For a tech or trading firm, that resilience protects both revenue and reputation.
Disasters are rare but costly, and the firms that cope are the ones that prepared. Here’s what to put in place.
1. Tested backups as the foundation
Encrypted, isolated and tested backups of your systems and data mean you can always recover to a known-good state. This is the bedrock of any continuity plan, and testing is what makes it trustworthy.
2. Replication and failover for critical systems
For the systems you cannot be without, keeping a second, ready copy through replication means you can fail over quickly instead of waiting on a full restore. We set this up for the systems where downtime hurts most.
3. A clear, written plan
A simple plan covering what gets recovered first, how people keep working in the meantime, and who does what, turns a crisis into a managed task. Everyone knowing the plan is half the battle.
4. Tested and kept current
A continuity plan that is never tested or updated drifts out of date. We test recovery and keep the plan current as your firm changes, so it actually works when you need it.
A real example: failover kept healthy
We supported a software company serving financial trading firms where we monitored the health of its replication, so the secondary copy of critical systems stayed ready, and ran restore tests to prove recovery worked. That protected failover capability for a business whose software underpins live trading.
For a software, technology or financial trading firm, this is part of managed IT and security that usually costs about £45 to £100 per user per month, scaling with your headcount, your security needs and how much uptime the business depends on.
Why technology and trading firms choose First Stop IT
First Stop IT has supported businesses since 2002, including software and technology companies and firms that serve financial markets. We know the systems these teams depend on: secure VPN and remote access, source control and build pipelines, virtual dev and test environments, Microsoft 365 and Teams, and the security that banks and regulators expect, from multi-factor authentication and endpoint protection to application allowlisting and email security. We work with technology and trading firms in London and across Essex and Hertfordshire. Our credentials include:
- Cyber Essentials Certified
- IASME Cyber Assurance (Gold)
- NCSC Assured Service Provider (Cyber Advisor for Cyber Essentials)
- Microsoft Partner
- Crown Commercial Service Supplier (G-Cloud)
- Quality Principles Certified
We look after more than 2,000 endpoints across 50 companies, we’ve been named a Top 50 UK MSP for three years running, and we support organisations with 10 to 100 employees across Essex, Hertfordshire and London, including Harlow and Bishop’s Stortford.
Book a free IT and cyber security review
Would your firm survive a serious outage? Book a free IT and cyber security review with First Stop IT and we’ll build your resilience.