1. Regular and Secure Data Backups

• Maintain automated, periodic backups of personal data, with frequency based on criticality (e.g., daily, weekly).
• Ensure off-site or cloud backups are stored with encryption and versioning.
• Periodically test data restore procedures to ensure backup integrity and availability.

2. Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BC/DR) Plan

• Develop and implement a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) and Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP).
• Include defined Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO).
• Conduct regular DR drills and document learnings.

3. Data Redundancy and Replication

• Use real-time replication of critical personal data across geographically dispersed data centers.
• Ensure failover systems are in place and ready for immediate activation.

4. High Availability Systems

• Design IT infrastructure for high availability (HA) using load balancers, redundant servers, and cloud-native solutions.
• Use clustered environments or container orchestration platforms (like Kubernetes) for uninterrupted service.

5. Incident Response Protocol

• Maintain a formal Incident Response Plan (IRP) with predefined steps for:
  • Identifying the breach
  • Containing the incident
  • Notifying stakeholders
  • Remediating the issue
• Assign roles and responsibilities to an incident response team (IRT).

6. Data Encryption in Transit and at Rest

• Protect backups and replicated data using AES-256 or equivalent encryption.
• Use TLS/SSL protocols for data in transit between primary and backup systems.

7. Access to Alternative Processing Channels

• Ensure temporary manual or semi-automated fallback systems (e.g., spreadsheets, secure offline methods) to continue essential operations if digital systems fail.
• Ensure such alternatives comply with basic security hygiene.

8. Audit Trail and Monitoring

• Maintain logs of backup activity, DR test results, and data access to ensure traceability.
• Implement real-time monitoring of data availability and integrity.

9. Legal and Regulatory Compliance

• Align BC/DR practices with applicable sectoral laws, guidelines (e.g., RBI, SEBI, HIPAA), and data protection mandates.
• Ensure retention, notification, and recovery protocols meet compliance timelines and formats.

10. Awareness and Training

• Regularly train staff involved in data handling and IT operations on:
  • Backup procedures
  • Recovery drills
  • Response protocols during system failure or data compromise.