Question 1

What is a disaster recovery audit?

Accepted Answer

A disaster recovery audit is a systematic evaluation of your organization's ability to recover critical IT systems, data, and business operations after a disruptive event such as a ransomware attack, hardware failure, natural disaster, or extended power outage. The audit examines your backup systems, recovery procedures, communication plans, and vendor dependencies to identify gaps that could prevent timely recovery. PTG conducts disaster recovery audits for businesses across Raleigh, Durham, and the Research Triangle, delivering a prioritized remediation roadmap aligned with frameworks such as NIST SP 800-34 and ISO 22301.

Question 2

How often should we test our disaster recovery plan?

Accepted Answer

Industry best practices and most compliance frameworks recommend testing your disaster recovery plan at least once per year. Organizations in regulated industries such as healthcare (HIPAA), government contracting (CMMC), and financial services (PCI DSS, SOC 2) may need to test quarterly or after any significant infrastructure change. Testing should include both tabletop exercises, where stakeholders walk through scenarios in a conference room setting, and partial or full recovery tests that actually restore systems from backups. PTG helps businesses establish a testing cadence that satisfies compliance requirements while validating that recovery procedures actually work under realistic conditions.

Question 3

What is the difference between RTO and RPO?

Accepted Answer

Recovery Time Objective (RTO) is the maximum acceptable amount of time your business can be without a particular system or service before the impact becomes unacceptable. Recovery Point Objective (RPO) is the maximum acceptable amount of data loss measured in time, meaning how far back your most recent usable backup goes. For example, an RTO of four hours means you need the system running again within four hours, while an RPO of one hour means you cannot lose more than one hour of data. During a disaster recovery audit, PTG helps you define realistic RTO and RPO targets for each critical system and then evaluates whether your current backup and recovery infrastructure can actually meet those targets.

Question 4

What is a tabletop exercise for disaster recovery?

Accepted Answer

A tabletop exercise is a guided discussion-based simulation where your leadership team, IT staff, and key stakeholders walk through a realistic disaster scenario step by step without actually activating recovery systems. A facilitator presents the scenario, such as a ransomware attack encrypting all production servers, and participants describe what actions they would take, who they would contact, and what resources they would need. The exercise reveals gaps in your plan that are invisible on paper, such as unclear responsibilities, missing contact information, outdated procedures, and assumptions about systems that no longer exist. PTG facilitates tabletop exercises tailored to your industry and risk profile, with a detailed findings report and remediation recommendations delivered afterward.

Question 5

Does our business need a disaster recovery plan if we use cloud services?

Accepted Answer

Yes, absolutely. Cloud services reduce certain risks but introduce others. Cloud providers are responsible for the availability of their infrastructure, but you are responsible for your data, configurations, access controls, and the ability to operate if the cloud service experiences an extended outage. Major cloud outages at AWS, Microsoft 365, and Google Workspace have demonstrated that even the largest providers experience multi-hour disruptions. A disaster recovery plan for cloud-dependent businesses should address data export and portability, alternative communication methods, local copies of critical data, and procedures for operating without cloud access. PTG evaluates your cloud dependencies during the audit and ensures your DR plan accounts for cloud-specific failure scenarios.

Question 6

What are the most common cybersecurity threats facing businesses today?

Accepted Answer

The most common cybersecurity threats include ransomware attacks, phishing and social engineering, business email compromise, insider threats, and supply chain attacks. Ransomware alone costs businesses billions of dollars annually, with the average ransom demand exceeding two hundred thousand dollars. Phishing remains the primary attack vector, responsible for over ninety percent of successful breaches. PTG helps businesses in Raleigh, Durham, and the Research Triangle defend against all of these threats through layered security controls, employee training, and continuous monitoring provided by our managed security operations center.

Question 7

How often should a business conduct cybersecurity assessments?

Accepted Answer

Best practices recommend conducting comprehensive cybersecurity assessments at least annually, with vulnerability scans performed quarterly or monthly. Businesses in regulated industries such as healthcare, finance, and government contracting may need more frequent assessments to maintain compliance with frameworks like HIPAA, PCI DSS, CMMC, and SOC 2. PTG provides ongoing security assessment services that help organizations identify and remediate vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by threat actors, using industry-standard tools and methodologies aligned with NIST Cybersecurity Framework guidelines.

Question 8

What is the difference between a vulnerability assessment and penetration testing?

Accepted Answer

A vulnerability assessment systematically scans your network, systems, and applications to identify known security weaknesses and misconfigurations. A penetration test goes further by actively attempting to exploit those vulnerabilities to determine the real-world impact of a breach. Both are essential components of a mature cybersecurity program. PTG offers both services, providing detailed reports with prioritized remediation recommendations tailored to your specific environment and risk profile. Our penetration testing team uses the same techniques as real-world attackers to give you an accurate picture of your security posture.

Question 9

How can small businesses afford enterprise-grade cybersecurity?

Accepted Answer

Small and mid-sized businesses can achieve enterprise-grade security through managed security service providers like PTG. Rather than hiring a full in-house security team costing hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, businesses can leverage PTG's expertise, tools, and twenty-four-seven monitoring at a fraction of the cost. Our managed security packages are designed specifically for SMBs in the Research Triangle, providing comprehensive protection including endpoint detection and response, SIEM monitoring, email security, and compliance management at predictable monthly costs that fit small business budgets.

Question 10

What should a business do immediately after discovering a data breach?

Accepted Answer

Upon discovering a data breach, businesses should immediately activate their incident response plan, isolate affected systems to prevent further data loss, preserve all evidence for forensic analysis, notify legal counsel, and begin documenting the timeline of events. Depending on the type of data compromised, regulatory notification requirements under HIPAA, state breach notification laws, or other frameworks may apply with strict deadlines. PTG provides incident response services and digital forensics to help businesses contain breaches, investigate root causes, fulfill all notification obligations, and implement measures to prevent future incidents.

DISASTER RECOVERYAUDIT

The 3-Step DR Audit

Identify all critical data, systems, and business functions

Classify the importance of each asset to operations and compliance

Apply appropriate backup and recovery plans matched to asset value

What We Evaluate

Backup Infrastructure

Recovery Procedures

Business Impact Analysis

Compliance Alignment

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Backup and DR

Cybersecurity Audit

Risk Assessment

Ransomware Recovery

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