A hot site is an off-premises location where an organization can resume normal operations during a commercial disaster. All the equipment needed for the work to resume is available at a hot site, including phones, backup data, and computers. Hot sites provide a backup system for companies in case of extenuating circumstances or disaster and are an important part of a company’s business continuity and disaster recovery strategy (BCDR).
A hot site can also be defined as an off-site data-processing facility equipped with software and hardware. This facility may not have actual office space for employees to continue working.
A business disaster is any event that interrupts a business’ normal operations. When a business disaster occurs, the business becomes unable to perform the most critical functions for a period of time. Examples of business disasters include: