Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery for New Jersey & New York Businesses
Studies show that 60% of small businesses that experience significant data loss shut down within six months. Whether the threat is ransomware, a hardware failure, a natural disaster, or simple human error, your ability to recover fast is the difference between a minor disruption and a business-ending event. Advanced Systems Technology implements enterprise-grade backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity solutions that keep New Jersey and New York businesses running no matter what comes their way.
Automated cloud and local backup
Disaster recovery planning and testing
Rapid data restoration
Ransomware recovery
Business continuity planning
Off-site data replication
Backup & Recovery
Your Data, Protected and Recoverable
AST deploys Datto BDR (Backup and Disaster Recovery) appliances at your location — purpose-built hardware that takes incremental image-based snapshots of your servers and workstations throughout the day. Every backup is stored locally on the appliance for fast on-site restoration, and simultaneously replicated to Datto's secure cloud infrastructure for off-site protection. That gives you two independent copies of your data, so even a total site loss — fire, flood, theft — leaves your business intact.
Our backup strategy is built around your Recovery Point Objective (RPO) and Recovery Time Objective (RTO). Most of our NJ and NY clients run backups every 15 to 60 minutes, meaning you'll never lose more than an hour of work even in a worst-case scenario. Restoration times are measured in minutes for individual files and hours for full server rebuilds, not the days or weeks that tape-based or legacy backup systems require. If your physical server fails, we can spin up a virtualized copy of it directly on the Datto appliance while we source replacement hardware — keeping your team productive with zero extended downtime.
Backup testing is where most IT providers fall short. A backup that hasn't been verified is not a backup — it's a false sense of security. AST runs automated nightly screenshot verification on every protected server, confirming that each backup boots successfully and is clean. We also perform manual quarterly restore tests and provide you with a backup health report so you always know the status of your data protection. Our managed IT services clients receive continuous backup monitoring as part of their monthly plan.
- Automated backup with multiple daily snapshots (every 15–60 min)
- Both local (on-site Datto appliance) and cloud-based backup copies
- Defined RPO and RTO targets matched to your business requirements
- Rapid restore — individual files in minutes, full servers in hours
- Automated nightly screenshot verification of every backup
- Quarterly manual restore testing with written health reports
Business Continuity
Keep Your Business Running, No Matter What
Backup is a component of business continuity — but it's not the whole picture. True business continuity planning means understanding exactly how your organization functions, identifying which systems and data are most critical, and building a documented recovery strategy before any crisis occurs. AST conducts a formal Business Impact Analysis (BIA) for each client, mapping your applications, workflows, and dependencies so we know which systems must come back online first and what the financial cost of downtime is for your specific operation.
From the BIA, we build your Disaster Recovery Plan — a step-by-step runbook that covers every failure scenario: ransomware attack, server hardware failure, ISP outage, office fire, or complete site loss. The plan assigns clear roles and responsibilities to your staff and our team, so there's no confusion or delay when something goes wrong. We document contact trees, vendor escalation paths, alternate work locations, and communication templates so your team can act immediately under pressure.
A plan that has never been tested is an untested plan. AST conducts annual DR drills with your team — simulating real-world failure scenarios and walking through the recovery process end to end. These exercises surface gaps before a real disaster does, and they build the muscle memory your staff needs to respond confidently. Every drill is followed by a written after-action report with specific recommendations. Pair this with our cybersecurity services and you have a layered defense that covers both prevention and recovery.
- Business Impact Analysis identifying critical systems and recovery priorities
- Defined Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO)
- Written Disaster Recovery Plan with step-by-step runbooks
- Role assignments and staff communication templates
- Annual DR drills with after-action reporting
- Ongoing plan maintenance as your business changes
Ransomware Recovery
Ransomware Hit? We Get You Back Online Fast
Ransomware is the most common and damaging threat facing small and mid-sized businesses in New Jersey and New York today. When an attack hits, the first 30 minutes are critical. AST's incident response process begins immediately: we isolate the infected systems from the rest of your network to stop lateral spread, identify the attack vector, and assess the scope of the encryption. Paying the ransom is almost never the right answer — criminals frequently fail to provide working decryption keys, and payment marks your business as a willing target for future attacks.
With verified, clean backups in place, we can restore your systems from the last known-good snapshot — bypassing the ransomware entirely. We wipe compromised machines, rebuild from backup, and validate each system before returning it to production. Because our backups are stored in an immutable, air-gapped cloud environment, ransomware cannot reach or encrypt your backup copies. For most clients with Datto BDR in place, full environment restoration takes hours rather than days or weeks. Once systems are restored, we conduct a thorough post-incident review, close the attack vector, and implement additional hardening to prevent recurrence. Learn more about our proactive threat prevention on our cybersecurity services page.
- Immediate isolation of infected systems to contain the outbreak
- Clean restoration from immutable, air-gapped backup copies
- Full environment rebuild and validation before returning to production
- Post-incident forensic review and vulnerability remediation
- Attack vector closure and security hardening
- Coordination with cyber insurance providers as needed
Cloud Backup & Data Protection
Your Cloud Data Needs Backup Too
Many businesses in New Jersey and New York assume that because their data lives in Microsoft 365, it's automatically protected. It is not. Microsoft's shared responsibility model makes clear that data retention and recovery from accidental deletion, malicious deletion, or ransomware is your responsibility as the customer. Microsoft provides infrastructure uptime — not backup. AST fills that gap with dedicated Microsoft 365 backup covering Exchange email, SharePoint sites, OneDrive files, and Teams data, with point-in-time restore going back up to a year or more.
Beyond Microsoft 365, we extend cloud backup coverage to your on-premises servers, virtual machines, and employee endpoints. Server backup captures your file shares, application data, databases, and system state. Endpoint backup protects individual workstations and laptops — critical for remote and hybrid workers whose devices may never touch your office network. All backup data is encrypted in transit and at rest. For businesses in regulated industries such as healthcare, legal, or finance, our backup and retention policies are designed to meet HIPAA, FINRA, and other compliance requirements. Explore how our Cloud & Microsoft 365 services and managed IT plans integrate with backup for complete coverage.
- Microsoft 365 backup — email, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams
- Point-in-time restore for accidental or malicious deletion
- On-premises server and virtual machine backup
- Endpoint backup for laptops and remote worker devices
- Encryption in transit and at rest for all backup data
- Compliance-aligned retention policies for regulated industries
Frequently Asked Questions
Common Questions About Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery
What is business continuity planning?
Business continuity planning (BCP) is the process of identifying which business functions are critical, what threats could disrupt them, and how your organization will maintain or quickly restore operations after a disruptive event. It covers everything from which systems get restored first after a server failure, to how staff will communicate and work if your office is inaccessible. A solid BCP reduces downtime, limits financial loss, and gives your team a clear playbook to follow under pressure. AST builds customized business continuity plans for NJ and NY businesses across all industries.
How often should backups run?
Backup frequency depends on how much data your business can afford to lose — this is called your Recovery Point Objective (RPO). For most businesses, we recommend backups every 15 to 60 minutes for servers running critical applications, databases, or financial records. Less active systems may be backed up hourly or every few hours. Daily backups alone are generally insufficient for modern businesses — a ransomware attack at 4:59 PM after a 5:00 AM backup means an entire day of lost work. AST sizes backup schedules to your specific RPO and adjusts them as your business grows.
Can you recover data after a ransomware attack?
Yes — if you have clean, verified backups stored in an immutable environment, ransomware recovery without paying the ransom is absolutely achievable. AST stores backup copies in Datto's air-gapped cloud infrastructure, which ransomware cannot reach or encrypt. When an attack occurs, we isolate infected systems, identify the last clean backup snapshot taken before the encryption began, and restore your systems from that point. Most clients are fully operational within hours. Without proper backups, your only options are paying the ransom (with no guarantee of recovery) or rebuilding from scratch — both of which are far more costly and time-consuming.
What's the difference between backup and disaster recovery?
Backup is the act of copying and storing your data so it can be restored later. Disaster recovery (DR) is the broader process of restoring your IT systems and business operations to a functional state after a major disruption — which may involve much more than just retrieving files. DR includes restoring servers, configuring network settings, re-deploying applications, testing connectivity, and getting staff back to work. Backup is a critical input to disaster recovery, but DR also requires documented procedures, tested runbooks, defined recovery time targets, and trained personnel. AST provides both: the technical backup infrastructure and the documented DR plan to execute against it.
How fast can you restore our systems?
Restoration speed depends on what needs to be restored and what hardware is involved. For individual files or folders, restoration from our Datto BDR appliances typically takes minutes. For a full server restore, most environments are back online within two to four hours. If your physical server has failed and replacement hardware isn't immediately available, we can virtualize your server directly on the Datto appliance and keep your team working while we source new hardware — this process takes roughly 15 to 30 minutes. We define specific Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) for each client during the onboarding process so you know exactly what to expect before a disaster ever occurs.
Do you back up Microsoft 365 data?
Yes, and this is critically important — Microsoft 365 does not include a backup service. Microsoft maintains platform uptime but does not protect your data from accidental deletion, malicious deletion by a disgruntled employee, or ransomware that encrypts your SharePoint and OneDrive files. AST provides dedicated Microsoft 365 backup covering Exchange Online email (including calendar and contacts), SharePoint document libraries, OneDrive for Business, and Microsoft Teams data. We retain point-in-time snapshots so you can restore a specific version of a file, a deleted mailbox, or an entire SharePoint site to any point within your retention window. This service is available standalone or bundled with our managed IT and cloud services plans.
Related Services
Explore Our Other IT Solutions
Managed IT Services
Proactive monitoring, helpdesk support, and full IT management for NJ and NY businesses. Backup monitoring is included in every managed IT plan.
Learn MoreCybersecurity
Endpoint detection, firewall management, security awareness training, and ransomware prevention to protect your business before disaster strikes.
Learn MoreCloud & Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 deployment, management, and backup — covering email, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams for your entire organization.
Learn MoreReady to Get Started?
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