#330 Disaster Recovery for Executives: Why Cloud & SaaS Are NOT Enough

Executives often assume cloud and SaaS providers offer complete disaster protection—until they don't. In this episode, disaster recovery expert Tom May dismantles that myth with a hard truth: even the most reliable cloud infrastructure can fail, and relying solely on it leaves businesses vulnerable to data loss, ransomware, and operational collapse. Drawing from real-world disasters—from hurricanes that wiped out dual data centers to ransomware attacks that encrypted backups—May argues that true resilience comes not from technology alone, but from a disciplined, business-driven approach to disaster recovery (DR). He emphasizes that DR isn't a one-time project but a continuous, evolving process requiring executive ownership, clear RTOs (Recovery Time Objectives) and RPOs (Recovery Point Objectives), and a phased, minimum viable strategy. The most dangerous myth? That 'someone else' is responsible. In reality, every executive is ultimately accountable for their data—and the cost of inaction is not just downtime, but existential risk. May’s framework centers on three pillars: zero trust in vendors (even cloud providers), eliminating the 'truck factor' by documenting and decentralizing knowledge, and treating DR like self-insurance—funded, tested, and maintained monthly. He reveals that most SaaS platforms don’t offer recoverable backups by default, and that third-party tools are essential.