Business Continuity - What is it and Why is it Critical

Every day, businesses, communities, organizations, and governments are at risk of hazards threatening their operations. Whether they are cyber crimes, human-error, naturally occurring dangers, or fraud; organizations are stretched to the limit of being able to not only respond appropriately but also put in place measures that would protect against and minimized the risk of these and many other threats. In addition to traditional threat vectors that organizations have planned for, the world within we operate is becoming much more dependent on information technology and with the globalization of goods and services, business and supply chains have become more intertwined than ever before.

This situation directly applies to an organization's confidential information and IT systems. Organizations need to take a systematic approach to prepare for a data breach that shuts down their operations, holds their data for ransom, and/or releases confidential information to the public.

More and more organizations should consider adopting the following statement:

"A balance between responding to a current threat and maintaining a continuity of operations can only strengthen organizational resilience in a time of uncertainty and risk."

Simply put, the modern consumer, employee, and supply chain partner expects the organizations they interact with to be resilient and deliver on its value proposition even in the face of negative circumstances. This also means that resilience is a fundamental and valuable business differentiator in today's business environment.

Business continuity allows organizations to maintain an expected level of service for those most critical to your customers or stakeholders. The ability to maintain a continuity of operation differentiates organizations from those who only consider the immediate 'here and now'. Developing a business continuity program uncovers many other different positive aspects as well.

Imagine identifying opportunities to streamline processes; strengthen dependencies across business units, external or internal partners; and create the opportunity to further competitive advantages consistently even in the face of adversity. Ultimately, this could lead to enhanced confidence with your stakeholders as well as fulfilling a moral obligation to protect employees and to a certain extent the community.

Business continuity should be weaved into the fabric of your organizations' planning and operational functions. Unlike other assessments, this is not a once and done proposition, but an on-going commitment to ensure that your most critical services stay operational, ultimately strengthening your organizations resilience!

Castellan Information Security is an end-to-end information security company helping our clients protect one of their most valuable assets, their information. Contact us at info@castellaninformationsecurity.com to find out how we can help protect your information.

Ask us about how we can help you build Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery plans to protect your organization when a breach occurs.

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