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 | The Intersection of Business Continuity and Data Breach Preparedness
August 13, 2010 by Brian Zawada |
The assertion that data breach prevention and preparedness is strictly an information technology security issue could not be further from the truth. Proper planning for, and response to, a data breach event requires a multi-faceted approach, with participation from diverse elements of the organization. Although an IT Security department may be an obvious choice to lead the development of data breach incident planning, business continuity professionals possess an array of preparedness approaches, processes, skills, information and relationships that could contribute to the development of appropriate levels of preparedness to respond to this type of crisis. Furthermore, as business continuity professionals continue to seek new areas in which they can add value, data breach is an excellent opportunity.
This article presents the business case as to why business continuity professionals need to learn about this unique threat and how they can add value to the planning effort. |
 | Plan Do Check Act (PDCA) – How it Applies To Business Continuity
June 30, 2010 by Jacque Rupert | The business continuity industry has heard a lot about Plan, Do, Check Act (PDCA) recently. Nearly every emerging standard is following this approach, from BS 25999 and NFPA 1600 (2010 edition) to the new American business continuity standard being created by ASIS. However, there seems to be a lot of confusion about what PDCA is – and what it means for business continuity. This article breaks down the components of a PDCA approach to business continuity, with a focus on which activities will provide your organization’s program the most value. |
 | Twitter: Business Continuity in 140 Characters or Less
May 26, 2010 by Christopher Burton |
What do CNN, Dalai Lama, FEMA, and Avalution all have in common? All embrace social media in the form of Twitter to interact with users and share breaking news. Displaying topics ranging from H1N1 and Haiti to the best local cup of coffee, Twitter has created a new baseline for effective and efficient communication. With the ease of use and scalability that social media provides, organizations are looking to understand how social media not only fits into their marketing and branding efforts, but also their business continuity capability. |
 | WHO Declares Pandemic Phase 6 – Don’t Panic, but DO PREPARE!
June 11, 2009 by Brian Zawada | The World Health Organization (WHO) raised its pandemic alert level to Phase 6, the highest alert level.
This designation means a global pandemic is under way. As of June 11th, almost 30,000 cases have been confirmed globally in 74 countries. However, on a positive note, there have not been any significant mutations in the virus thus far, and the virus has proven to be relatively stable.
What does this mean for your organization? Read this article to find out more about how your organization can best prepare and respond. |
 | Are Your Personnel “Competent” in Performing Their Business Continuity Responsibilities?
May 11, 2009 by Susan Giffin |
New and emerging business continuity standards highlight that personnel should be “competent” in performing their business continuity responsibilities. This may seem like an obvious statement but it can be an area in which organizations often forget to focus. Business continuity practitioners and their sponsors that read BS 25999-2 (which summarizes this requirement in Sections 4.2.5 and 4.3.1) often ask two questions specific to the concept of competency:
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What exactly does “competent” mean?
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Who does this requirement apply to in our organization? |
 | The Dangers Associated With A Template
April 01, 2009 by Brian Zawada |
Key Takeaway – Use a template to enable decentralized planning since it provides structure and consistency, as well as an outline of key concepts to address. However, establish the template as the minimum and pair the template with training to explain how the plan would be used during a disruptive event, and to enable the development of quality, detailed content.
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 | Supporting Employees During a Disaster
July 21, 2008 by Jacque Rupert |
Recent man-made and natural disasters led many organizations to reevaluate their strategies for protecting employees from the adverse affects of a disaster. Informed, allied employees whose human needs and concerns are being met form the foundation of organizational resilience and recoverability. In a post-crisis situation, an organization cannot effectively resume operations without the physical and mental health and stability of well-trained and dedicated people. |
 | FFIEC Expands Pandemic Planning Guidance for Financial Institutions
January 23, 2008 by Stacy Gardner |
For financial institutions waiting for more formal guidance from the Federal Financial Institution Examination Council (FFIEC) before planning for a pandemic, the time is here. The FFIEC, an interagency council that prescribes uniform standards for the United States financial industry, recently followed up the industry’s “Interagency Advisory on Influenza Pandemic Preparedness” and NCUA’s “Letter to Credit Union 06-CU-06 - Influenza Pandemic Preparedness” with new guidance. |
 | Crisis Communications: Influence How Your Organization is Viewed During an Incident
November 21, 2007 by Stacy Gardner |
Confusion, speculation and fear during and after an incident often cause people to overreact. Without reassurance, the human imagination can run wild and assume the worst. As such, one of the most critical aspects of responding to a disaster situation is implementing efficient and effective crisis communications to both reassure stakeholders and minimize reputational damage. |
 | Pandemic Webinar Q&A
October 30, 2007 by The Avalution Team |
Avalution Consulting co-owners Brian Zawada and Robert Giffin recently presented a webinar, sponsored by Continuity Insights, titled "Practical Pandemic Planning For Businesses".
Many questions were submitted by the 200 participants, but due to time restraints, there was not enough time to answer them all, so the questions and our answers are listed below. |
 | Influencing Cause AND Effect
October 08, 2007 by Brian Zawada |
I was recently involved in a conversation with a group of business executives that embarked on a process to develop a business continuity program. During the initial business continuity steering committee, one executive added some thoughts regarding recent “regional” events, such as 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and the 2003 Northeast Blackout. “We couldn’t have seen any of those events coming, no one could. Although we didn’t have plans at the time, how could any business continuity plan have helped? We would have had to improvise regardless.” |
 | Introducing BS25999
September 07, 2007 by Lucine Ghazarian | British Standard 25999 is a business continuity standard that was developed by a committee of practitioners chosen by the British Standard Institute (BSI). The standard provides basic guidance and recommendations for a wide range of organizations in need of a business continuity management system (BCMS). Although 25999 is not yet certifiable, it is becoming more and more widespread, competing as a leader amongst business continuity standards due to its easy to follow framework and actionable recommendations. |
 | A Long Overdue Trend - The Maturity of Crisis Management
April 26, 2007 by Rob Giffin and Brian Zawada |
Crisis management is an organization-specific program designed to effectively and efficiently respond to an event, minimize the impact, protect and reassure stakeholders, and prepare for recovery. Although the concept of crisis management is not new, business continuity planners (and other risk management professionals) are focusing more and more attention on this often overlooked area. This article explores the business trends leading to a higher degree of organizational crisis management readiness and maturity. |
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