Business Continuity Management as a service
BCP (Business Continuity Planning) ‘business continuity planning’ is the term used to describe the business process that must remain operational during and after an incident.
DRP (Disaster Recovery Planning) ‘disaster recovery plan’ is a term used to describe the plans a company will use to respond to a natural disaster or other critical event.
The difference between BCP and DRP is that BCP focuses on high-level proactive business resilience planning, while DRP focuses on reactive system maintenance, i.e. in terms of incident response. Modern business security management theory includes DRP either as part of the BCP process or as part of a separate BCDR process – Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery.
With BCP and DRP, we can help you:
- keep your business running during and after an incident
- recover from disruptions faster
- reduce the cost and duration of any disruptions
- save lives in disasters and catastrophes
- reduce and insure against financial and other risks
- win the trust of clients and partners and protect the company’s reputation
- comply with regulatory and statutory requirements
- gain valuable information about the safety criticality of your assets
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International Standards
These standards cover topics from crisis management to risk assessment, provide the basis on which we build our BCP plans:
- American National Standards Institute/ASIS ORM.1.201 Security and Resilience in Organizations and Their Supply Chains
- FINRA Rule 4370: Business Continuity Plans and Emergency Contact Information
- IEC 31010:2019: Risk Management — Risk Assessment Techniques
- ISO 22301:2019: Security and Resilience — Business Continuity Management Systems — Requirements
- ISO 22313:2012: Societal Security — Business Continuity Management Systems — Guidance
- ISO 22320:2018: Security and Resilience — Emergency Management — Guidelines for Incident Management
- ISO 27031:2011: Information technology — Security techniques — Guidelines for information and communication technology readiness for business continuity (being redeveloped as ISO WD 27031)
- ISO 31000:2018: Risk Management — Guidelines
- ISO Guide 73:2009: Risk Management — Vocabulary
- ISO/TS 22317:2015: Societal Security — Business Continuity Management Systems — Guidelines for Business Impact Analysis (BIA) (to be replaced by ISO/AWI TS 22317)
- National Fire Protection Association 1600: Standard on Continuity, Emergency, and Crisis Management (new consolidated draft pending)
- NIST Special Publication 800-34 Rev. 1: Contingency Planning Guide for Federal Information Systems
How to write and implement a business continuity plan
- Create a list of all critical business functions in your organisation.
- Create a business impact analysis.
- Develop a range of different crisis scenarios and think about how they could disrupt your business operations.
- Develop strategies to address any vulnerabilities you identify to maintain functionality in the event of a disaster.
- Identify employees who will play a key role in implementing business continuity processes.
- Provide training to relevant employees.
- Review and evaluate your business continuity plan on a regular basis.
How to write and implement a disaster recovery plan
- Identify the people in your organisation who need to form the disaster recovery team.
- Identify the critical processes and functions that may be affected by a disaster.
- Identify potential disaster risks and think about how they may affect your business operations.
- Develop disaster recovery strategies and processes.
- Develop contingency plans and procedures.
- Ensure your staff are trained.
- Test and maintain your plan regularly.
Given the overlapping scope of BCP and DRP processes, it is cost-effective to have the same professional team develop, test and implement BCP and DRP.
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Service summary
⏳ Duration of project | Typically, from a few weeks to several months or more, depending on the scope and requirements. |
🎁 Can it be free or have a testing period? | Free consultation and initial analysis of business requirements. |
💼 What type of business needs it? | Financial institutions, healthcare providers, transportation and logistics companies, government agencies, manufacturing businesses, and other companies susceptible to disruptions. |
💡 When is this service needed? | When you want to ensure that your company can continue to operate in the event of a disruption or disaster. |
📈 Your profit | Reduced downtime, lower insurance premiums, improved reputation, competitive advantage, and new customers who value reliability. |
⚙️ Our methods and tools | Business impact analysis, crisis management plans, business continuity plan, disaster recovery plan, testing and training, etc. |
📑 Deliverables | Business Impact Analysis report, crisis management plan, business continuity plan, disaster recovery plan, training materials, etc. |
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FAQ
Disaster recovery planning is the process of creating a strategy or set of procedures to help an organization recover from a disaster or disruptive event that affects their normal operations. The goal of disaster recovery planning is to minimize the impact of a disaster, reduce downtime, and ensure that critical business functions can be restored as quickly as possible.
The plan usually includes steps for assessing damage, prioritizing recovery efforts, allocating resources, and communicating with stakeholders. It may also include backup and recovery procedures, redundancy measures, and alternate work arrangements.
Disaster recovery planning is an essential aspect of business continuity planning, which aims to ensure that critical business functions can continue during and after a disaster. By having a solid disaster recovery plan in place, organizations can minimize the impact of a disaster on their operations, reputation, and bottom line.
Computer technology plays a critical role in disaster recovery planning. With the increasing reliance on technology in business operations, the impact of a disaster on computer systems can be significant, leading to data loss, extended downtime, and even the permanent closure of a business. Therefore, disaster recovery planning needs to consider the impact of disasters on computer technology and how to recover it.
Here are some ways that computer technology affects disaster recovery planning:
- Data Backup. Computer technology enables organizations to automate the backup of critical data, ensuring that important data is protected and recoverable in the event of a disaster.
- Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS). DRaaS leverages cloud computing technology to provide disaster recovery solutions to organizations. This technology allows organizations to recover their IT infrastructure and critical data remotely.
- Virtualization. Virtualization technology can help in disaster recovery by allowing the creation of virtual machines that can be easily backed up and restored in the event of a disaster.
- Redundancy. Computer technology allows for the implementation of redundancy measures, such as backup power supplies, data centers, and network connectivity, which help ensure continuity in the event of a disaster.
- Communication. Computer technology enables organizations to communicate with stakeholders during and after a disaster. This technology can facilitate the coordination of recovery efforts and the dissemination of critical information.
The primary goal of business continuity planning (BCP) is to ensure that an organization can continue its critical operations in the event of a disruption. The goal is to minimize the impact of a natural disaster or any other disruptive event that could threaten an organization's ability to do business. BCP includes identifying potential risks, developing and implementing plans and procedures, and establishing a foundation for ongoing management, training, and testing.
The primary objectives of BCP are:
- Protection of employees and customers;
- Minimizing downtime;
- Brand reputation support;
- Protection of critical assets;
- Ensuring regulatory compliance.
Business Continuity Planning (BCP) is a process that involves developing and implementing a set of procedures and protocols that will help an organization maintain its critical operations in the event of a disruptive event. The purpose of BCP is to identify potential risks, minimize the impact of a disaster on business operations, and ensure that critical functions can continue.
BCP involves the following key steps:
- Business Impact Analysis (BIA). This involves identifying the critical business functions, processes, and resources needed to maintain operations. The BIA helps to prioritize the most critical business functions and allocate resources accordingly.
- Risk Assessment. This involves identifying potential risks and threats that may affect the organization's operations, such as natural disasters, cyber attacks, equipment failures, and other disruptive events.
- Development of Response and Recovery Plans. This involves developing and implementing procedures and protocols to respond to and recover from a disruptive event. This includes developing emergency response plans, business continuity plans, and disaster recovery plans.
- Testing and Training. This involves testing the plans and procedures to ensure that they are effective and efficient. It also involves training employees on the procedures and protocols to ensure that they are prepared to respond appropriately in the event of a disruptive event.
- Continuous Improvement. This involves regularly reviewing and updating the BCP to ensure that it remains relevant and effective in the face of changing risks and threats.
Business continuity planning (BCP) is important because it helps organizations prepare for and respond to disruptive events that may affect their operations. The goal of BCP is to minimize the impact of a disaster on critical business functions, reduce downtime, and ensure that an organization can continue its operations during and after a crisis. Here are some reasons why BCP is important:
- Protects employees and customers. BCP includes procedures for protecting employees and customers during a crisis. This ensures their safety and well-being and helps to prevent injuries and fatalities.
- Minimizes downtime. BCP helps to minimize the impact of a disaster on business operations. By identifying critical business functions and developing plans to restore them quickly, BCP can reduce downtime and minimize financial losses.
- Preserves brand reputation. A disaster can have a significant impact on a business's brand reputation. BCP can help mitigate the impact of a crisis on the business's reputation by having a plan in place to respond effectively to the situation.
- Protects critical assets. BCP identifies critical assets such as data, equipment, and facilities and ensures that they are protected in the event of a disaster. The plan should include procedures for data backup and recovery, equipment relocation, and facility restoration.
- Complies with regulatory requirements. BCP ensures that the organization complies with regulatory requirements related to business continuity and disaster recovery.
- Increases customer confidence. BCP can increase customer confidence by demonstrating that the organization has a plan in place to respond to and recover from a disruptive event. This can help to retain customers and attract new ones.
Business continuity as a service (BCaaS) is a cloud-based solution that provides organizations with access to business continuity and disaster recovery services.
With BCaaS, organizations can outsource their business continuity and disaster recovery needs to a third-party provider who will manage the planning, implementation, and testing of the plan. This allows organizations to focus on their core business functions while ensuring that they are prepared for a disruptive event.
BCaaS can be a cost-effective solution for organizations that do not have the resources or expertise to develop and implement a business continuity and disaster recovery plan in-house. By outsourcing these functions to a third-party provider, organizations can ensure that they are prepared for a disruptive event and can quickly recover their operations in the event of a crisis.
Business Continuity as a Service (BCaaS) can help your company in several ways. Here are some of the key benefits of using BCaaS:
- Cost-effective. BCaaS can be a cost-effective solution for companies that do not have the resources or expertise to develop and implement a business continuity and disaster recovery plan in-house. Outsourcing these functions to a third-party provider can be more affordable than hiring and training an in-house team.
- Customized solutions. BCaaS providers offer customized solutions tailored to the specific needs of your company. They work with you to identify your critical business functions, assets, and risks and develop a plan that is designed to minimize downtime and ensure that your operations can continue in the event of a crisis.
- Scalability. BCaaS can be scaled up or down based on the changing needs of your company. This makes it a flexible solution that can grow and adapt to meet the evolving needs of your business.
- Expertise. BCaaS providers have expertise in business continuity and disaster recovery planning. They can provide guidance and support to ensure that your plan is effective and efficient.
- Reduced downtime. BCaaS can help to reduce downtime in the event of a disaster. By having a plan in place and the necessary resources and support, your company can quickly recover its operations and minimize the financial losses associated with downtime.
- Regulatory compliance. BCaaS providers can help your company comply with regulatory requirements related to business continuity and disaster recovery.