Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery Planning

BUSINESS CONTINUITY - DISASTER RECOVERY
More than Just a Daily Backup

? ? Telephones ? ? - 2 weeks from your local Telco to setup

? ? Computers ? ? - 6 weeks to replace your corporate mini

? ? Office Space ? ? - 3 Weeks to find and rewire adequate space

? ? Client Notification ? ? - Who - When - How ?

Where will you be tomorrow if your Business Burns today ?
Don't let fire burn you out - PLAN AHEAD

What does it take to build a goodBusiness Continuity Plan?

1. What should I guard against and how likely is it to happen

(Risk Assessment):

- Nature - Tornados, Ice Storms, Earth Quakes

- Human - Terrorist attacks, employee sabatoge, loss of key personnel

- Technology - Hackers, Equipment Failure, Viruses

- Competition - Theft of secrets, false rumors

2. What happens if something goes wrong and what is the cost
(Business Impact Analysis):
    - Competitor's threat while you are out of operation
    - Hourly/Daily impact on cash flow
    - Impact on ability to sell your products or services
    - Cost of recovery

3. Develop a workable Business Continuity Plan, taking into consideration:
    - Minimum human resources
    - Communication needs
    - Computer/Data Processing needs
    - Physical facilities
    - Emergency product suppliers
    - Relocation/Housing requirements
    - Customer/Vendor notification

4. Develop an implementation plan, including:
    - Emergency Computer/Human facilities
    - Paper/Information flow
    - Long term facilities during recovery period
    - Personnel notification

5. Testing
    - "Bench" testing
    - Phone Tree
    - Emergency facilities
    - Mock emergency drill

The following books are available from Amazon.Com:

Disaster Planning and Recovery : A Guide for Facility Professionals, by Alan M. Levitt

Book Description
This hands-on guide to disaster planning, provides proven strategies, tools, and techniques for helping your company plan for, cope with, and recover from cataclysmic events. DLC: Crisis management.

The only complete, practical guide of its kind, Disaster Planning and Recovery shows facility professionals how to prepare for, cope with, and rebound from a disaster. Alan Levitt demonstrates that the first major step toward minimizing risk and optimizing recovery time following an emergency is to formulate a comprehensive disaster plan. Throughout Disaster Planning and Recovery, the emphasis is on human factors. Levitt describes techniques for efficiently mobilizing staff in an emergency, working effectively with key departments, such as IT, and most importantly, easing the stress that disasters can impose on staff members. Disaster Planning and Recovery is an indispensable resource for facility professionals, human resources managers, building owners and managers, architects, designers, and planners.

Click here to order from Amazon.Com

Disaster Recovery Planning: Strategies for Protecting Critical Information Assets, by Jon William Toigo

From the Back Cover
The most complete guide to data protection, disaster recovery avoidance, and disaster recovery tools, techniques, and technologies!

Disaster Recovery Planning, Second Edition shows exactly how to implement world-class disaster recovery for today's distributed environments-without paying for expensive consultants or proprietary methodologies! Veteran planner and analyst Jon William Toigo delivers strategies and insight that any company can use, large or small.

Click here to order from Amazon.Com

Contingency Planning and Disaster Recovery : Protecting Your Organization's Resources, by Janet G. Butler

Book Description
As organizations implement a greater number of mission-critical applications over distributed networks, they become more vulnerable to potential disasters. CTR's 229-page report explores guidelines for developing successful contingency and disaster recovery strategies that will protect company resources and minimize downtime.

Click here to order from Amazon.Com

Geoffrey L. Turner, CBCP
Certified Business Continuity Planner
32 Bailey Avenue
Latham, NY 12110
(518) 366-7598
E-mail For More Information