Enterprise disaster recovery and business continuity planning
Disaster recovery (DR) planning and business continuity (BC) are critical to the survival of any organization. CIOs must work with the business units to create effective disaster recovery and business continuity plans and policies to prepare for hurricanes, Avian flu and other potential catastrophes. Find the latest DR planning and BC information for CIOs, including news, tips and other resources, in this topic section.
Top Stories
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Feature
20 Dec 2021
IT resilience management, planning top of mind for DR pros
Resilience is a key issue for disaster recovery pros. This year, readers sought to build up their skills and learn more about the role of resilience in DR. Continue Reading
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Tip
01 Nov 2021
How to calculate and reduce MTTR
Mean time to repair is a helpful performance metric to ensure that important systems and processes don't fail. BCDR teams should know how to calculate MTTR, as well as lower it. Continue Reading
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Tip
01 Nov 2021
How to calculate and reduce MTTR
Mean time to repair is a helpful performance metric to ensure that important systems and processes don't fail. BCDR teams should know how to calculate MTTR, as well as lower it. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 Sep 2021
Decode different types of business interruption insurance
Business interruption insurance can be difficult to navigate because not all policies are the same. Here's what to examine when exploring insurance options. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Aug 2021
Top mass notification system vendors and how to choose one
Mass notification systems are crucial to a business continuity and disaster recovery strategy. To choose the right system, cross-check its capabilities with your requirements. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Aug 2021
Fortify emergency communications systems with a business plan
Emergency communications is one of the first actions organizations should undertake during an incident. An automated system is critical but cannot stand alone without a plan. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Jul 2021
Prepare for planned and unplanned downtime
There are two types of IT downtime: planned and unplanned. Neither are desirable, but one is necessary and the other could strike at any moment. Here's how to prepare for both. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Jun 2021
Build a BCDR employee training program for peak resilience
A BCDR training program teaches employees key skills, such as how to conduct risk assessments, coordinate emergency response with first responders and restore business processes. Continue Reading
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Tip
24 Jun 2021
12 skills business continuity managers need to succeed
Communication, collaboration, IT expertise and project management are key skills that business continuity managers must have to efficiently lead a BCDR team. Here's why. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Jun 2021
How to build a strong crisis communications team
A crisis communications team works best when all members are fully aware of their responsibilities. Here are some tips on building a highly effective response team. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Apr 2021
Establish a business continuity team to get the full picture
Business continuity teams provide insight and focus that can keep an organization on its feet when disaster strikes. Don't rely on a disaster recovery team to reduce downtime. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Mar 2021
Prepare for the unknown with an organizational resilience model
An organizational resilience strategy is far-reaching, involving many facets of IT and the business -- from disaster recovery to supply chain management. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Mar 2021
How to establish an operational resilience training program
Collaboration across departments is the new normal to protect business operations. Set up and promote an operational resilience training program with our included printable guide. Continue Reading
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News
25 Feb 2021
Texas power outage flags need to revisit business continuity
Freezing conditions that caused Texas power outages affected businesses well beyond the state's borders, prompting a need for business continuity plans to be revisited. Continue Reading
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Tip
09 Feb 2021
Follow these standards for business continuity and resilience
Business continuity, disaster recovery and resilience professionals have numerous IT standards they can reference for nearly every aspect of planning. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Jan 2021
Optimize a BCDR strategy for 2021 and beyond
COVID-19 has changed the way many organizations view BCDR. Along with an increased interest in resilience, a pandemic-proof BCDR plan is likely top of mind for 2021. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Dec 2020
Remote disaster recovery presents new business challenges
With more employees working remotely than ever, natural disasters and other typical DR crises present an entirely new challenge. How can businesses tackle this new set of risks? Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Nov 2020
Prepare for a business continuity audit with the FFIEC handbook
The FFIEC 'Business Continuity Management' handbook can serve as a guide to ensure that BC activities are consistent with best practices and are ready for an audit. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Nov 2020
Business continuity vendors bolster offerings during pandemic
Organizations must ensure their pandemic business continuity and technology DR plans address cybersecurity, as well as remote employees, social distancing and company shutdowns. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Nov 2020
After-action report template and guide for DR planning
Conducting an after-action report following disasters or internal DR exercises is a critical process that will help prepare an organization for future disruptive events. Continue Reading
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News
12 Nov 2020
Castellan Solutions launches with business continuity suite
Newly rebranded Castellan's offerings include risk management, business continuity and disaster recovery management, and emergency notification and incident management. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Oct 2020
It's a new age for hot site disaster recovery
Hot sites are a viable disaster recovery strategy, but high costs and changing DR risks have made alternatives like disaster recovery as a service a more appealing option. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Oct 2020
Creating a post-pandemic recovery plan is an ongoing process
There is still much to learn about post-pandemic DR at this stage of COVID-19. Organizations should keep an eye on pandemic-specific software changes and updated recovery tools. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Sep 2020
ISO 22301:2019 vs. previous versions: What's changed?
The International Organization for Standardization is continually updating its BC standards. Older versions may still be relevant, but keep an eye out for significant changes. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Sep 2020
What CIOs need to know about hardening IT infrastructure
Infrastructure hardening is an ongoing, proactive way of life for CIOs and their IT teams. Here, we provide guidance to ensure that hardening is planned and implemented successfully. Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Aug 2020
Terms to aid your pandemic recovery planning process
When updating your organization's pandemic plan, it can help to have these terms handy. These tools, processes and standards are key to a solid recovery plan. Continue Reading
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Infographic
21 Aug 2020
15 examples of supply chain disruptions throughout history
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruptions across the global supply chain. Here's a look at other disruptions that underscore why boosting resiliency has always been important. Continue Reading
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Guest Post
06 Aug 2020
The contradiction of post COVID-19 risk management
Security vs. usability is always a constant struggle for security teams. The rapid change to remote access during the pandemic has forced companies to revisit their risk management approach. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Jul 2020
Use disaster recovery standards to guide pandemic planning
International quality management and compliance standards can help an organization kick off a disaster recovery plan for unprecedented scenarios, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 May 2020
Supply chain recovery post-COVID-19: Risk, disruption and tech
The coronavirus pandemic exposed the fragility of global supply chains and leaders must turn their attention to boosting resiliency. Here's how to start. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 May 2020
6 ways to address COVID-19 food supply chain disruptions
The food supply chain may be broken, but there are initial steps companies must take in the near term. Learn how to bring order to the chaos COVID-19 has brought. Continue Reading
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Feature
06 May 2020
Implementing a business continuity plan in times of crisis
Forrester Research analysts discuss what we initially knew about the COVID-19 pandemic, how it's transforming business and how to devise a business continuity plan. Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Apr 2020
Supply chain transparency: Technology, partnership and progress
Compliance is mostly voluntary for suppliers, and brand owners don't have to disclose everything. Data collection is mostly manual. But cloud links help, and IoT holds promise. Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Apr 2020
ERP security issues with working remotely during COVID-19 outbreak
Keeping the organization's enterprise systems safe is everyone's job -- from top leadership on down. Now that the coronavirus has millions homebound, that's never been more important. Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Mar 2020
COVID-19 outbreak in China slows global supply chain
The COVID-19 outbreak started in China, where a large percentage of major enterprises have factories. Here's what business leaders should learn from the resulting slowdown. Continue Reading
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Feature
16 Mar 2020
How to prevent a coronavirus panic buying bullwhip effect
Widespread coronavirus panic buying is likely to cause a bullwhip effect in some areas -- such as toilet paper. Here's how suppliers can work to minimize the negative supply chain effects. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Jan 2020
Obtaining professional business continuity certifications
Professional resilience certifications recognize those working in business continuity and disaster recovery, and the education that comes with them is a valuable resource. Continue Reading
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Tip
09 Jan 2020
Tips for outsourcing business resilience services
Outsourcing IT resilience is more feasible than ever, thanks to a rise in cloud-based options. If you plan on outsourcing resilience to a third party, be sure to do your homework. Continue Reading
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Opinion
06 Nov 2019
Important questions about DRaaS you're not asking your vendor
Not all DRaaS vendors are created equal. Expose any weaknesses and shortcomings in your current or prospective providers by asking the following questions. Continue Reading
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Answer
29 Oct 2019
What are the roles and responsibilities of a liaison officer?
While liaison officer responsibilities vary depending on the company they work for, their strong organizational and communications skills make them critical to incident response. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Oct 2019
Organizational vs. operational resilience: What's the difference?
Achieving both operational and organizational resilience is key to ensuring that a company can protect and adapt its processes and bounce back in the event of a disaster. Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Sep 2019
Know your Office 365 backup options -- just in case
A move to Exchange Online in the Office 365 platform removes some administrative obligations but does require more work to set up proper email protections. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Jul 2019
Ransomware attacks: How to get the upper hand
Ransomware attacks are on the rise. Can organizations play like Radiohead and refuse to pay? The answer from security experts is a qualified yes. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 Jun 2019
3 steps to prepare for Exchange updates
If you dread the process of updating Exchange and the possibility that patches will break the servers, you can take control by putting best practices in place with three steps. Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Jun 2019
AI in IT infrastructure transforms how work gets done
Cutting through the hype around AI has become a major job for IT leaders. Our in-depth guide on where and how to add AI to your IT infrastructure will help. Continue Reading
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Answer
02 May 2019
Why should I use Exchange Server maintenance mode?
When applying security updates or cumulative updates to Exchange Server, it's important to take your time and use maintenance mode to avoid disruption and data corruption. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Apr 2019
Words to go: Disaster recovery planning checklist
Working on a disaster recovery plan? Don't forget to include these vital tests, exercises, plans and assessments when preparing for a disruptive event. Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Apr 2019
High-performance computing use cases and benefits in business
High-performance computing has moved from the rarified realm of research and government and into the enterprise. Learn how systems are evolving to handle data and deliver profit. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Mar 2019
Conduct a business impact analysis with these tips and tools
A business impact analysis is a fairly standard part of disaster recovery planning, but nuances within your organization may affect your approach to conducting and using a BIA. Continue Reading
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News
21 Mar 2019
Everbridge Crisis Management unifies communication, response
Everbridge has launched an application that provides organizations the ability to manage a critical event throughout its lifecycle through a dynamic dashboard. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Feb 2019
What to do if an internal notification system fails
Having an emergency notification system in place can help maintain contact with staff during a crisis, but make sure that your company has a plan in place in case it malfunctions. Continue Reading
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Quiz
02 Oct 2018
Test your business continuity best practices knowledge
When crafting a business continuity and disaster recovery plan, it's helpful to keep in mind some basic best practices. Don't find yourself caught off guard by getting complacent. Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Oct 2018
Sunkist Growers reaps the benefits of managed disaster recovery services
Sunkist Growers turned to DRaaS to make its disaster recovery options more practical for the company and its employees. But while the market is maturing, it might not work for all businesses. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Aug 2018
4 areas where compliance with GDPR and disaster recovery intersect
Your disaster recovery plans may have to change following the need for compliance with GDPR. These four elements involve backups, personal data, security and archiving. Continue Reading
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Guide
31 May 2018
Next-gen IT infrastructure strategy to guide digital transformation
The evolution of business tech forces companies to frequently redefine digital strategy. In this essential guide, learn best practices to manage modern IT infrastructure. Continue Reading
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Answer
17 Apr 2018
How does the ISO 22316 standard cover resilience?
Definitions for business continuity and resilience sometimes clash, but both processes help an organization stay on its feet. A new ISO standard tackles the latter. Continue Reading
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News
03 Apr 2018
TetherView desktop disaster recovery offers a way into VDI
With standby virtual desktops from TetherView, IT can forgo full-fledged backup data centers for disaster recovery. The company CEO details use cases for the technology and more. Continue Reading
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Answer
30 Mar 2018
What are vital elements of a workplace emergency response plan?
Emergency response planning needs to be specific and varied enough that it will enable an organization to recover in the event of many different kinds of incidents. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Mar 2018
How to overcome multi-cloud disaster recovery challenges
As multi-cloud environments proliferate, data backup and recovery tech is essential. Here's how to assess enterprise multi-cloud disaster recovery capabilities -- and limitations. Continue Reading
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Answer
14 Mar 2018
What is a short business continuity history?
From mainframes to the cloud, the business continuity profession has seen a lot over the decades. How did we get to the business continuity process of today? Continue Reading
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Podcast
26 Feb 2018
IT business continuity and disaster recovery: Past to future
From protecting mainframes to recovering from cyberattacks, the methods for business continuity and disaster recovery have changed, but the practice remains vital. Continue Reading
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News
31 Jan 2018
Ransomware outbreak threat calls for backup and DR strategy
IT departments deploy a range of data restore approaches to mitigate the risk of a debilitating ransomware attack. Time is of the essence, however. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Jan 2018
Don't overlook these business resilience plan essentials
Business resilience planning requires preventive and proactive protections across power supply, systems, cybersecurity and backup procedures. Staff planning is important as well. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Jul 2017
Lost and found: Use an Exchange recovery database to restore data
PowerShell can come to the rescue to restore messages and other items from an Exchange 2016 recovery database when trouble strikes -- or when lawyers make requests. Continue Reading
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Answer
02 Mar 2017
How do I design and initiate a call tree procedure?
A call tree can be an important piece of disaster recovery planning. Follow these steps for call tree design and execution to ensure your company is ready for unplanned events. Continue Reading
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Tip
07 Jan 2016
How to test your DR/BC plan
Woe to the IT organization that hasn't taken its DR/BC plan out for a spin. The right kind of testing will close the gaps and save IT and the business a lot of grief. Continue Reading
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News
24 Jul 2014
What to include in a post-DR-test after-action review
What should go into your organization's after-action review following a disaster recovery test? #CIOChat participants suggest what to include in the report and why. Continue Reading
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Definition
01 Feb 2013
business continuity management (BCM)
Business continuity management (BCM) is a framework for identifying an organization's risk of exposure to internal and external threats. Continue Reading