Business Continuity Planning

Business continuity planning involves creating systems of prevention and recovery to deal with potential threats to a company. Any event that could negatively impact operations is included in the plan, such as cyber-attack, supply chain interruption, loss of or damage to critical infrastructure.

Disaster Recovery

Disaster Recovery is part of the process.  A robust disaster recovery plan will focus on restoring the IT infrastructure and operations after some crisis occurs.  This will be a core element of business continuity planning for most companies.   

With most businesses dependent on their technology to operate, there are certain processes that can be put in place to reduce risks.   In order to create a plan that is suitable for your particular business, there are a number of questions that you should ask yourself as a business owner.

What to ask in relation to Business Continuity

• Do you know what information and systems your business needs to remain operating?
• Do you know where your business’s critical information and data is stored and also who has access to it?
• Have you evaluated all of the potential sources of disruption on your system which could harm your business?
• Do you have an active programme to reduce the likelihood of a disruption?
• If you lost a critical system, do you have a plan of how to restore the system?
• Do you have an established business resumption team?
• Do you periodically test your business resumption plan along with your site emergency response plan?
• Do you know what the costs will be for your business to respond to a serious cyber incident, including recovery?

Seek Expert Advice

If you cannot answer or are uncomfortable with these questions, then it is time to act.  Make it a priority to discuss business continuity planning at your next management meeting.  Speaking to an IT expert team about your concerns will give you peace of mind.  We all hope that disaster will not strike, but if it does you must ensure you are prepared.   GDK Network Systems are a trusted technology partner, you can avail of our expertise when it comes to business continuity.