|
By Doug Henderson
A New Environment: The 21st
century has brought businesses new threats, an increased demand for continuity
of operations and a reliance on new technologies. Effective planning must
address all of these constantly evolving factors. The three distinct but
interdependent planning areas are often referred to as follows:
- Emergency (or Incident) Response (or Crisis Management) Planning
- Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP)
- Information Technology (or Disaster Recovery) Planning
Emergency Response
September 11, 2001 ushered in a new era for Emergency Response. There
is now a paramount need for schools, government entities, and individuals
to be prepared to execute an "Emergency Lockdown" (or "Shelter in Place").
Terrorist Attack situations constitute life-threatening events and conducting
a Facility Evacuation or failing to respond properly could be a fatal
mistake. Note that Emergency Lockdown procedures are also appropriate
for other situations such as external hazardous releases and, with some
modification, tornado and hostile intruder emergencies.
Most adult members of the population know how to conduce
a Facility Evacuation as these procedures have been regularly practiced
in the school system and are at least occasionally practiced in the workplace
environment. Emergency Lockdowns are just now being practiced on a sporadic
basis. Most individuals will not be familiar the subtle but important
differences in response procedures among the various threats. Employers
need to develop Emergency Lockdown plans, communicate those plans to everyone
and, most importantly, practice the plan. Practicing Emergency Lockdown
procedures is as important as practicing Facility Evacuations.
Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP)
Organizations are currently under increasing pressure to maintain service
capabilities. This requires organi-zations to assess critical functions
and to provide for the maintenance or rapid restoration of those critical
services at some established minimum level. A Risk and Impact Analysis
(RIA) report will investigate and document these matters. The RIA will
also identify risks & exposures and develop solutions to respond to the
potential disasters on a strategic basis. Most importantly the RIA will
examine the need for planning in the Emergency Response and Technology
areas.
The Continuity of Operations Plan will develop the details
of the organization's execution of a plan to respond to a disaster situation.
As with Emergency Response Plans, a Continuity of Operations Plan needs
to be documented, maintained and exercised. Exercises will concentrate
on the action steps of managers who are responsible for the Continuity
of Operations Plan execution and not necessarily involve the entire organization.
Ongoing maintenance issues need to reflect any changes in personnel, changes
to operations, changes to the overall environment and the emergence of
new technologies.
Technology Planning
Over the last several years, systems and telecommunication technology
services have emerged as critical support services for most organizations.
The RIA will also conduct a review of the current level of technology
planning and include a review of existing controls, vital records procedures
and data center recovery planning. In addition the appropriate types of
alternate sites (hot site, cold site, etc.) need to be analyzed. Based
upon the established recovery objectives and costs of the various disaster
responses, management should be in a position to select the most appropriate
approach.
Technology planning needs should be addressed in all of
the following planning areas:
- Alternate Site Plan(s) - a plan to recover technology services at
another location
- Data Center Recovery - a plan to restore the data center at its current
location
- Vital Records Management - a plan to secure and retrieve information
- Information Security - a plan to secure information from internal
and external threats
Contact
Disaster Management, Inc.
1531 SE Sunshine Avenue
Port St. Lucie, Florida 34952
Phone: (772) 335-9750
Fax: (772) 335-9739
www.disastermgt.com
|
