Your business is dependent on resources, personnel and daily tasks to stay healthy, happy and profitable. Whether it’s a disruption caused by a natural disaster or the sudden failure of a critical server, thorough business continuity planning (BCP) and disaster recovery (DR) planning are essential. Many businesses are prone to minimizing the importance of adequate BCP/DR planning because disaster seems like an improbably event. Don’t let your business make this mistake. Perhaps you’ve put some thought into common scenarios, such as prolonged power outages, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, etc. But what about more frequent scenarios, such as unexpected departure of key personnel, supply chain problems or other similar challenges?

What’s the difference between BCP and DR?

DR aims to minimize the effects of a disaster by taking the necessary steps to ensure that the resources, personnel and business processes are able to resume operation in a timely manner. BCP provides methods and procedures for addressing long-term outages and service disruptions to enable the business to continue operating and meeting its customer obligations.

What is an all-hazards approach?

An all-hazards approach ensures that all types of scenarios are accounted for, including natural, organizational, technical and/or human threats.

Contingency Planning mind map

Using an all-hazards approach, 38North has developed BCP/DR plans for a range of industries, and we’re well equipped to prepare your organization for a speedy and sustainable response to disruptions. We can also assess your existing BCP/DR planning measures to ensure the continued success of your organization. We support a full range of BCP/DR activities, including:

  • Develop a contingency planning policy statement that provides the authority and guidance necessary to develop an effective contingency plan.
  • Conduct a business impact analysis to identify and prioritize information systems and components critical to supporting your organization’s mission and processes.
  • Identify preventive controls to reduce the effects of system disruptions to improve system availability and reduce contingency life cycle costs.
  • Create contingency strategies to ensure that systems are recovered quickly and effectively following a disruption.
  • Develop a unique information system contingency plan detailing the guidance and procedures for restoring a damaged system based on the system’s security impact level and recovery requirements.
  • Conduct plan testing, training and exercises. Testing validates recovery capabilities, whereas training prepares recovery personnel for plan activation and exercising the plan identifies planning gaps. When combined, these activities improve plan effectiveness and overall organization preparedness.

Learn how our contingency planning experts can help you prepare and respond to what could be lurking around the corner.