Alexandre Guindani, CBCP, SBCI
http://www.rugbrasil.com/
Ten tips to building an effective Business Continuity Program
Many people believe that the creation of a Business Continuity structure itself provides security to the enterprise and makes it safe from interruption, bringing the feeling of task accomplished.
Unfortunately, business continuity is not a mere project; it must be seen as a state of mind. Business continuity, to be truly effective, requires cultural changing.
Also, to be honest, business continuity is not fascinating, nor does it excite or engage people. And this, in my understanding, is the greatest challenge of …

Red Flags, Threat Assessments and Connecting-the-Dots
Rick Shaw, CEO Awareity
-June 10th 2010-
Have you noticed more and more comments from the media, safety experts and government leaders are focusing on the failure of organizations to connect-the-dots and the failure to identify red flags prior to emergencies and crisis situations?
From Columbine to Virginia Tech to Fort Hood to the University of Alabama and South Hadley… challenges with red flags, threat assessments and connecting-the-dots have been going on for years; what changes do organizations need to make?
Identifying Red Flags
Why are so many red flags …

-Wayne Rash-
Let’s forget, if we can, the car bomb in Times Square that fizzled. Instead, let’s suppose it hadn’t. Or let’s suppose that it’s a couple of months from now, and a category 5 hurricane hits the East Coast of the U.S. Or that the Big One finally hits – in Seattle. There’s no question that these would all be disasters of immeasurable proportions. The loss of life would be great, the loss in property would be huge.
No doubt you’re thinking that you’ve got this taken care of in terms …

Do’s and Don’ts for Developing an Actionable Plan on a Budget
-By Gaston Boisson, CBCP, MBCI -
April 16th 2010
 
The last decade produced multiple mass casualty events, from 9-11 to the Tsunamis in the South Pacific region, to the recent earthquake in Haiti.   These events, while tragic, have served as painful evidence that investments in governmental, organizational, and community preparedness are important and necessary. 
The Scenario
To survive a disaster, organizations must be concerned with responding to impacts to personnel, facilities, and technology. Forward thinking organizations also consider Corporate Social Responsibility and incorporate …

– by Chris Bakowski, MBCI at Linus Information Security Solutions Pty Ltd–
As we are all aware, a Business Continuity Management plan is only effective if it accurately reflects the needs, technology and structure of the organization. But, more importantly, a Business Continuity Management plan can only be considered to be truly effective if the content and the components of the plan have been exercised.
Continuous exercising ensures that there are no gaps or issues; that the key people involved in either the Emergency Response and / or Business Recovery teams are fully …

- By Ronald C. French -
Feb. 24, 2010
Certain assumptions must be made when developing a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) or a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP). Business operations during an emergency are not “business as usual”. Decisions that are critical to the resiliency of a business in an emergency must be made by managers that are fully knowledgeable of their operations and fully documented in any organization’s BCP/COOP.
Unanticipated threats and emergencies can and will occur with no warning that could cause a significantly adverse impact on an organization’s mission essential …

–By Nathan Schoenkin–
January 19, 2010
When beginning the development of Business Continuity Plans (BCP) it is important to decide how long each process can be out of operation before causing your company serious damage. If your company manufactures a product, or serves as a call center for technical support, a decision has to be made as to how long your company can maintain itself without completing its essential tasks. The length of time before your company will have suffered irreversible damage to its image and financial stability is known as the …

–by Gaston Boisson–
There has been a revolution in government and corporate views on planning and preparedness in recent years. For the first time ever, Business Continuity Planning is becoming institutionalized in both the public and private sectors of the United States. Government agencies and companies alike are now making the investment necessary to maintain ongoing Continuity Planning support and are viewing this as an essential component to public sector / business resilience.
The 911 Effect
Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, multiple Presidential Directives have highlighted an increased emphasis on …

As entrepreneurs we make many decisions each day in order to run our business effectively, but what happens if we’re not there to run it ? How will our families fare ? We need a plan…….
 
–Chris Jorgensen–
Much of the wealth in this country has been created through the efforts of small business owners.  Small business owners are an incredibly hard working group.  Often, virtually every waking hour is spent helping the business grow.  The family may be involved in the business.  No one deserves their wealth more than someone who …

–by Governor Scott McCallum–

Summer evokes fantasies of weekends at the beach, vacations with the family and the sun shining brightly through the office window. But for many people around the world, summer brings about images that are far less pleasant: the start of Hurricane Season. Everyone knows what happened to New Orleans in 2005, but what about in 2008? The destruction may not have been as massive or as publicized, but the effect the storm had on several communities was devastating. The state of Louisiana wanted to be better prepared …