For a couple of weeks in June, the Air Force thought it had lost 100,000 investigation records dating back to 2004. According to reports, the Air Force’s Automated Case Tracking System (ACTS) database became corrupted, and because of how the data was backed up, there was initial concern that those records couldn’t be recovered. As… Continue reading 5 Things Every Business Should do to Protect its Data

Whether you’re the CEO, IT head, or an executive tasked with the process of maintaining business security, there will be a lot on your plate to keep you busy. Depending on the nature of your business, you may need to protect more than your own assets, data, and sensitive information. You could be holding similar… Continue reading 5 Ways to Enhance Your Business Security

Hesston, Kansas, is the picturesque Midwestern town. Hesston is located 36 miles north of Wichita. It is very much a town like the stereotypical American small towns Norman Rockwell painted years ago. According to the 2010 census it has a population of 3,709 people. The only stranger in the town is the person who just… Continue reading Active Shooter Fallout

Natural and manmade disasters are occurring with alarming regularity. While news stories frequently cover damage to homes and consumers, businesses often experience greater losses, ranging from physical destruction to downtime. One major key for firms to survive in a disaster scenario is the development and successful deployment of a strong business continuity (BC) plan. Based… Continue reading La Nina’s Threat to Business Continuity

DRJ Fall World 2016 brought more than 1,100 industry practitioners, speakers, and exhibitors from around the world to a new conference venue, the J.W. Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in Phoenix, Ariz., Sept. 18-21, 2016. Nearly 900 paid attendees took part in the three-day event, featuring 56 sessions, a concurrent exhibit hall, and… Continue reading ‘Overwhelming’ Response to Phoenix at DRJ Fall World 2016

 It’s happening right now in clandestine labs around the world: an old warehouse in an abandoned industrial park in Russia, a government-supported facility in North Korea, maybe even the basement of an unremarkable house in a working-class St. Louis neighborhood. The outward appearance doesn’t matter, nor does the location. Inside the building is some of… Continue reading The Zero Day Scenario

Business executives understand the risks associated with running a company and take the time to develop and implement a comprehensive risk management strategy. This strategy covers the protection of physical assets, loss of income, personnel, cyber, professional liability exposures, and others depending on the business. While most successful executives are diligent about this process, they… Continue reading Why Personal Risk Management is Critical to Executives, Companies

One of my favorite subjects to discuss and write about is the issue of realistic testing when conducting an exercise. While the subject of this article might seem like a simple play on words, the differences and implications of each statement are quite important to your continuity efforts. Reflecting back on my 35-plus years in… Continue reading Conducting Realistic Exercises: Test the Plan vs. Plan the Test

What is in your plan? Who developed your plan? How did you exercise your plan? Have you updated your plan? Why do you even have a plan? Have you ever used your plan? Does your plan work? These are just a few questions you and your colleagues should be asking one another when thinking about… Continue reading Exercise is a Must

In September 2008, I was seated in the back of a hot, noisy Chinook helicopter flying into Helmand Province in Afghanistan. I was to take over as head of planning for the military and civilian operations for the entire province. I never envisaged that more than 400 fighters had bypassed the outer bases of our… Continue reading Importance of the ‘Unknown Knowns’