For Security & Risk Professionals

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	February 26, 2009 Businesses Take BC Planning More Seriously But Take The BC Readiness Of Strategic Partners For Granted by Stephanie Balaouras with Simon Yates, Allison Herald

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Executive Summary

Business continuity (BC) planning consists of three critical phases: business impact analysis (BIA), risk assessment (RA), and plan documentation. In our Forrester/Disaster Recovery Journal Business Continuity Preparedness Survey, Q4 2008, we found that businesses are taking the time to complete each phase and regularly update BIAs, RAs, and plans. This is due in part to the increasing priority that businesses place on BC readiness, but it's also due to the increasing scrutiny businesses are under from both internal auditors and external parties such as regulatory bodies, strategic partners, and even customers. Security and risk management professionals, particularly CISOs and BC directors and managers, must ensure that their own planning efforts are on par with those of their peers and pay close attention to the areas where businesses are struggling: testing more thoroughly and frequently, involving business owners in the process from start to finish, and ensuring the BC readiness of strategic partners.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Internal And External Audiences Now Demand Proof Of BC Readiness
• Before You Can Plan, You Need To Understand Your Business And Your Risks
• You Must Document BC Strategies In Plans And Keep Plans Current
• You Must Include Business Owners From Start To Finish

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• Focus On Incremental Improvements
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This is an excerpt