Why RTO and RPO are no longer enough
Recovery time objective (RTO) and recovery point objective
(RPO) metrics have guided disaster recovery planning for decades. But they were
designed for hardware failures and natural outages — not modern cyberattacks
that compromise system integrity.
A fast recovery means nothing if it restores an infected
environment.
Today's MSPs need KPIs that measure more than speed. They
need metrics that account for clean recovery and acceptable business
disruption:
- Mean time to clean recovery (MTCR): Measures the time required to restore a verified, malware-free environment.
- Maximum tolerable disruption (MTD): Defines how long a business can remain offline before the impact becomes unacceptable.
Together, these KPIs align recovery decisions with
real-world outcomes — not just technical benchmarks.
The benefits extend beyond recovery. Reducing MTCR
eliminates reinfection cycles, repeated restores and wasted time switching
between fragmented tools. The result: Higher technician efficiency and stronger
client outcomes.
Our new infographic breaks down the shift from legacy
recovery metrics to a true cyber resilience model and shows how unified
architecture helps MSPs achieve both speed and trustworthiness in recovery.