Enterprises investing in business continuity planning have many considerations to make, but protecting customer data should be near the top of the list. Focusing on protecting consumer data above internal systems can provide a significant boost to overall continuity of operations while establishing a baseline of data security and recovery.

According to Business 2 Community, the issues inherent with protecting customer data during a disaster don't just fall within the boundaries of data loss and recovery, but also security. During the recovery processes, and especially during downtime, a firm's data is at greater risk because the company cannot monitor it. This is why cloud storage and higher-quality remote access solutions are exploding in popularity, allowing for improved data access and management both during normal operations and disaster response. The trick is leveraging security strategies at the same time.

For firms to optimize both access and security, they need to consider who has access to their data and how. The right cloud storage solution can ensure accessibility even during a crisis, but security will need to be carefully scrutinized. Mobility, virtualization and other key IT trends will add layers of complexity to these strategies for the better or worse, so companies also have to take these investments into consideration.

When developing a business continuity plan, hiring expert consultants can remove much of the guesswork and ensure the right plan is implemented for unique company needs. Consultants can also focus on enhancing the way a business approaches data usage outside of a disaster as well. Ultimately, this will promote stronger protection of customer data and data-related systems as a whole.

By bringing the focus to customer-specific data, firms can optimize security across the board and add a stronger standard to their business continuity efforts.