HIPAA SA-7.2: Establishing Your Disaster Recovery Plan
Data loss events threaten patient safety and regulatory standing. HIPAA SA-7.2 requires you to document and implement procedures that restore lost data when disasters strike. A solid disaster recovery plan is your safety net—and your compliance proof.
What this means
SA-7.2 mandates that covered entities and business associates establish written procedures to recover from data loss caused by disasters, system failures, or other emergencies. This control ensures you can restore critical patient information and operational capability within acceptable timeframes. The plan must be actively tested and updated to reflect current systems and threats.
How to comply
- 1.Document your disaster recovery plan in writing, including roles, responsibilities, and recovery time objectives (RTOs)
- 2.Identify all systems and data critical to patient care and business operations
- 3.Define backup frequency and retention periods based on data criticality and regulatory requirements
- 4.Establish procedures for data restoration, including step-by-step recovery processes and fallback options
- 5.Test your disaster recovery plan at least annually and document all test results
- 6.Maintain offsite backup copies of protected health information (PHI) and system configurations
- 7.Define communication protocols for notifying staff and stakeholders during recovery operations
- 8.Review and update the plan whenever systems change or after each test cycle
Evidence auditors look for
- Disaster recovery plan document with current version date and approval signatures
- Backup schedule showing frequency, retention periods, and offsite storage location
- Disaster recovery test results from the past 12 months with recorded RTOs and actual recovery times
- System inventory listing all critical applications and data repositories included in the plan
- Recovery procedures manual with step-by-step instructions for each critical system
- Backup verification logs confirming successful backups and data integrity checks
- Communication templates used during disaster recovery drills and actual incidents
Frequently asked questions
When will FAQs be available?
The FAQ for this control is currently being prepared.
GRCWatch automates backup monitoring, tracks disaster recovery test schedules, and generates audit-ready test documentation—so you prove SA-7.2 compliance without manual spreadsheets.
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