Which recovery strategy is most appropriate for a sensitive system with a high recovery time objective (RTO)?

In a scenario where a sensitive system has a high recovery time objective (RTO), the most appropriate recovery strategy is to utilize a warm site. A warm site strikes a balance between readiness and resource allocation, allowing for quicker recovery than a cold site while requiring less investment than a hot site.

A warm site is equipped with the necessary hardware and software, but it may not be fully operational at all times. It typically involves keeping the system’s applications and data in a ready-to-use state. This enables organizations to restore services within acceptable timeframes, aligning well with a high RTO requirement, as it reduces downtime significantly compared to a cold site, which would require a longer period to bring all resources online.

In contrast, a hot site would be an immediate solution with all systems fully operational at all times, offering the fastest recovery. However, this is often cost-prohibitive. While a mobile recovery site can provide flexibility, it may not specifically cater to the needs of a sensitive system, particularly related to its readiness and security requirements. Therefore, the warm site's capability to balance operational readiness and cost-effectiveness makes it suitable for environments where the sensitivity of data and a defined recovery time objective are priorities.