When the Smoke Cleared

Worst Wildfires in California History Prove Valuable Lesson for Continuity Planners By JANETTE BALLMAN Emergency responders and continuity planners had their hands full when nearly a dozen wildfires erupted in California during mid-October. Strong Santa Ana winds and record heat combined in mid-October to ignite overgrown brush and thick timber and send thousands of people… Continue reading When the Smoke Cleared

Is Good Enough Storage Good Enough for Compliance

Difficult economic conditions lead to fiscal belt tightening. The ever-increasing demand for data accelerates the growth of storage and causes these costs to appear like ripe, low hanging fruit to many cost-cutters. Buying low priced, “good enough,” or mediocre storage appears to be an opportunity to reduce a large and growing budgetary item. This, however,… Continue reading Is Good Enough Storage Good Enough for Compliance

A 10-Step Strategy for Defending E-Mail

In today’s technology-driven corporate world, more people communicate through e-mail than by any other method, including the telephone. Today “mail-tone” is more important to the continuation of your business than “dial-tone.” And it’s not only person-to-person communication that relies on e-mail. Today more than 90 percent of all business documents are created electronically and 60… Continue reading A 10-Step Strategy for Defending E-Mail

Cyber Crime: Is Your Company a Target?

Ian I. Mitroff, professor of business policy at the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California, said in a recent interview, “Corporations – or IT departments – tend to focus on crises they know about. That doesn’t serve them well. It’s not the crisis you know that will kill you; it’s the… Continue reading Cyber Crime: Is Your Company a Target?

Chicago Office Fire Raises Plenty of Questions

A recent fatal fire at a Chicago office building demonstrates the need for established evacuation plans and clear communication with emergency personnel. The fire, which occurred at the Cook County Administration Building on Oct. 17, 2003, killed six people and injured 15 who were trapped in a smoke-filled stairwell. Questions surround the rescue procedures used… Continue reading Chicago Office Fire Raises Plenty of Questions

You Built What? And it Goes Live Tomorrow?

In a perfect world, the business continuity planners would be aware of and involved in all projects. When results of these projects go live, recovery or continuity plans would be updated to support the new project, as well as support the existing functions and processes. Exercises or walk-throughs would be held to show that the… Continue reading You Built What? And it Goes Live Tomorrow?

New York Ferry Accident Sends Groups Into Action

On Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2003, a half-full Staten Island commuter ferry – named after legendary New York high school football coach Andrew J. Barberi – neared its destination a short nautical distance across the Upper New York Harbor from New York City’s Manhattan Island on a sunny, windy afternoon. Passengers crowded near the lower fore… Continue reading New York Ferry Accident Sends Groups Into Action

The Myths of Testing in the Real World

Business continuity and disaster recovery plans must be tested. It is a part of every comprehensive methodology. Auditors insist. It is the scope, frequency, and amount of testing that is the greater question. How far is too far? How close to realism does an organization go? In our experience, the first rule of testing is… Continue reading The Myths of Testing in the Real World

Eight Tips to Ensuring Sales Remain a Priority

Henry Kissinger once said, “There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full.” Although this sentiment probably rings true for most senior executives, when crisis does strike, it hits quick and hard, with blithe disregard for the calendar. Its affect on a business – its people, operations, and sales can be debilitating.… Continue reading Eight Tips to Ensuring Sales Remain a Priority