CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701)Security ArchitectureEasy
A hospital's disaster recovery plan states that if the primary data center is destroyed, IT staff will need to procure new hardware, install operating systems, and restore data from offsite backups before operations can resume, a process expected to take several days. Which type of recovery site does this describe?
- ACloud site
- BHot site
- CWarm site
- DCold site
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Cold site
A cold site provides basic facilities (power, space, cooling) but no pre-installed hardware or data, requiring significant time to become operational, which matches the multi-day recovery described.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Not a standard recovery site classification tested on the exam.
- B. A hot site is fully equipped and can fail over almost immediately.
- C. A warm site has some hardware and periodic data updates, reducing recovery time.
Cold Site
A backup facility with basic infrastructure (space, power, cooling) but no pre-installed systems or current data, requiring extensive setup before use.
- Cheapest but slowest recovery option
- Requires procuring hardware and restoring backups
- Longest RTO among site types
Memory trick: Hot is ready, warm is waiting, cold is empty.