CyberVAULT provides the following Business Continuity services. Each service can be facilitated individually or as a collective program based on Client's needs. To learn more about each service, please select from the links below:
I. Business Impact Assessment
II. Business Recovery Strategies
III. Business Continuity Plan Design and Development
IV. Plan Testing
V. Program and Plan Maintenance
VI. Emergency Response Design and Development
Business Impact Assessment
The Business Impact Analysis ( business impact assessment ), is an essential part of the business continuity planning process that helps a business understand its financial and operational exposures in the event of an interruption. The business impact assessment identifies mission-critical areas and business processes that are critical to the survival of business. Overall, the business impact analysis raises senior management ?s awareness of undesirable consequences and potential operational risk, which helps to justify the need for a business continuity plan.
It is essential that there is utmost confidence in the Business Impact Analysis. A comprehensive business impact assessment will ensure that a business will develop a suitable business continuity strategy and effective business continuity plan.
CyberVAULT will work with your organization to perform the following:
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Conduct a Business Assessment/Impact Analysis through interviews with Information Resources personnel and Business Sponsors to identify mission critical applications and recovery objectives.
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Recovery Time Objectives, Recovery Point Objectives and Recovery Communication Objectives will be identified for each critical business process. Results will be presented to management, and all issues discovered in the assessment will be remediated in order to gain a consensus among the business functions.
For Example:
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Meet with CEO, CIO and auditors to discuss requirements.
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What applications are mission critical to day-to-day operations?
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What are the recovery time objectives of each mission critical application?
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What are the risks to the business if this information is lost?
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Are there regulatory requirements and Customer commitments that require continuous availability?
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Recovery Strategies
When a business or organization chooses their business continuity strategy, it should reflect the recovery requirements in the corporate policies of that organization. It should be the most cost-effective solution although this may not always be possible within the practicalities of day-to-day business.
There should be two to three options developed, each providing a complete solution to the recovery requirements. Any strategy for recovery will always be a balance between acceptable expenditures to the organization versus the peace-of-mind it provides for those who are charged with running and progressing the organization. Any strategy should also demonstrate a clear understanding of the recovery planning objectives and reflect what the business needs to continue.
CyberVAULT will work with your organization to develop recovery strategies for mission critical applications.
CyberVAULT will develop recovery strategies based on the findings from the Business Assessment Analysis. Options will be presented to develop a consensus regarding the strategy that best supports the company’s strategic recovery goals.
Recovery Strategies will be based on, but not limited to information from the following:
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Assess current infrastructure and validate the current recovery capability
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Review the status and readiness of any recovery contracts (if applicable)
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Address deficiencies in these contract
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Review existing business recovery documentation
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Incorporate existing recovery information into the current project
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Identify external recovery solutions
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Maximize the current contract
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Consider other external options in addition to Sungard
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Identify internal recovery solutions
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Conduct a cost analysis of recovery strategies for both internal, external recovery and hybrid solutions
Recovery strategies will identify the relationships among the various business functions. This understanding will create the correct balance of recovery solutions that will provide the recoverability status required for continuous operations.
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Business Continuity Plan Design and Development
Business continuity planning is the process whereby financial and commercial institutions ensure the maintenance or recovery of operations, including services to customers, when confronted with adverse events such as natural disasters, technological failures, human error, or terrorism.
The objectives of a business continuity plan (BCP) are to minimize financial loss to the institution; continue to serve customers and financial market participants; and mitigate the negative effects disruptions can have on an institution's strategic plans, reputation, operations, liquidity, credit quality, market position, and ability to remain in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
CyberVAULT will work with your organization to:
Develop a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) that includes the critical business processes, personnel and supporting technology infrastructure
The BCP recovery process will be based on the loss of the primary facility. A facility is defined as the corporate office's and subsidiary locations. Scenario planning will also be documented. These scenarios will be limited in scope and discussed prior to development of the BCP. The purpose of scenario planning is to address the occurrence most likely to effect the area of business operations.
The primary components of the BCP will include, but will not be limited to: Incident Response Teams, Crises Management Teams, Recovery Teams and Procedures, critical Contact Lists, etc.
Documented recovery requirements will also include:
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Develop Technical requirements – Communications and Network
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Develop Business requirements – Workarea and Business functions
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Document regulatory compliance issues – SOX, FFIEC, FDIC, HIPPA requirements
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Document Customer requirements –Evaluate existing commitments for continuous service
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Document personnel requirements and responsibilities in the event of an interruption.
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Establish update procedures (change control processes) to the plan in order to maintain plan viability.
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Plan Testing
How do you know if the Business Continuity Plan is viable and usable? You cannot, unless you test your Plan at least two times per year. Plan testing is a regulatory requirement. More importantly, it should be a part of how you conduct good business practices. For the business managers and regulators to have confidence in an institutions business continuity plans these need to be tested
Today?s enterprises need to conduct thorough functional testing of their mission-critical applications and personnel to verify that all business processes work as expected. A successful testing program can dramatically increase both the speed and accuracy of your testing processes, providing a higher return on investment (ROI) from the cost of writing a plan while dramatically cutting risk.
CyberVAULT will work with your organization to develop:
Plan Walkthroughs - Develop and facilitate a Walkthrough Test for Plan Validation
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Establish the test schedule
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Establish objectives for the test
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Assist the client in test implementation
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Provide summary report of the test
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Complete plan remediation effort and update the plan status based test results
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Disaster Recovery Exercises
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CyberVAULT will manage the development of the test plan.
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Test planning includes but is not limited to the development of the objectives, addressing Service Level Requirements associated with the test, and documenting and presenting the test results to management.
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Pretest planning efforts include meetings with the test teams and reviewing their objectives for the test
It is recommended that American Safety Insurance conduct a minimum of two tests per year.
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Program and Plan Maintenance
Core competencies to manage and maintenance recovery plans and procedures are difficult to maintain within an enterprise.
Our maintenance program provides Clients with a real return on their investment. Plans are kept up to date with the latest and most efficient recovery processes. Testing and managing of the recovery strategy is kept consistent with the latest changes to the enterprise. Education is ongoing to maintain awareness of responsibilities when an emergency strikes.
CyberVAULT will provide:
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Updates to the plan will be reviewed for approval by the Company. Updates to the plans will reflect the current efforts under consideration by the Company as well as appropriate revisions to the current plan.
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Elements regarding Recovery time objectives, Recovery Point Objectives, will be evaluated and included in the plan.
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A Policy Statement communicating management’s intentions and support, and directs personnel toward a common objective will be developed to move the project forward.
Infrastructure and Program Management
Program Management – Monitoring of the DR Backup Facility
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CyberVAULT will assume the leadership role in regards to the DR site.
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This role will include monitoring compliance with the existing business continuity plan, documenting changes regarding upgrades and other revisions pertaining to the DR site.
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As a company grows, CyberVAULT will continue to evaluate the best option for recovery. This may include looking externally to a hotsite Vendor.
Infrastructure Management - CyberVAULT will provide program management and on going evaluation to improve the current recovery processes. This will include scenario planning and strategic planning to implement best practices. The goal of these efforts is to provide a comprehensive Business Continuity that will support the critical business structure.
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CyberVAULT will update and monitor Mission Critical, Enterprise Critical, Business Critical, and Decision Support Systems and identify the appropriate support infrastructure for these systems.
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CyberVAULT will conduct in-depth reviews with all departments, functional business units and senior management to update the current Business Continuity plan. These reviews may include personnel at all levels within the Company that are affected by the business processes under review.
The purpose of the reviews is to gain consensus throughout the Company regarding the business continuity plan and structure of the critical applications and business requirements.
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Emergency Response Planning
No Business Continuity Plan, however comprehensive, can cover all possible scenarios in which emergency action is needed. The Emergency Response Plan identifies the most likely emergencies that would effect your business operations. Emergency Response Planning often includes weather related incidents, brief power outages, and other singular issues.
CyberVAULT will develop an Emergency Response Plan. This plan will document various life safety scenarios that American Safety Insurance may encounter. These scenarios may not disable the company, but will require knowledge and planning regarding how to respond to the recovery of a specific area within the facility.
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