Disaster Recovery Plans for Computer System Failures: An Empirical Study of the State of Preparedness of American County Government

Information technology has become an invaluable tool for government operations and the ability to interact with the public. However, as dependency on information systems increases, governments become more vulnerable to systems failure or interruption from natural, man‐made or political disasters. This paper addresses a number of current issues concerning governments’capability and contingency plan in such disaster cases in order to avoid disruption of public services. The study examined 172 counties and the political, technological and economic factors which shape their decision to invest in recovery strategies. Data derived from this survey is analyzed to identify what variables have most significant impact on the decision as to whether or not to develop a disaster recovery plan.