IT Governance Blog on IT governance, risk management, compliance and information security.

Business continuity and disaster recovery planning is a key governance responsibility. The UK Companies Act 2006 gives statutory force to what has long been the worldwide common law duty of directors, which is to exercise due care in relation to their companies. Specifically, directors must “exercise reasonable care, skill and diligence” (s.174).

So, regardless of any impending budget cuts, the board of directors remain accountable for ensuring that the organisation has developed and tested business continuity and disaster recovery plans that deal with all the likely risks that face the organisation.

In the UK, the NHS has determined that BS25999 certification is a key way for NHS entities to demonstrate that they are adequately resilient, and UK local authorities have recognised the BS25999 certification is the best method possible for demonstrating they are meeting their obligations under the Civil Contingencies Act.

Internationally, organisations in both the public and private sector are pursuing BS25999 certification in order to demonstrate to stakeholders and customers that they have adequate business resilience arrangements in place.
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There are just a few seats remaining for next week’s BS25999 Business Continuity Management Implementation Master Class – In London (11-12 March 2010).
Book now and save £100! Call +44 (0) 845 070 1750.

Use any residual funds you have from the 2009/2010 financial year to get your business continuity management system on track and headed for success!

This two-day Masterclass provides comprehensive and practical coverage of the BS25999 approach to:

1. Developing and implementing a robust business continuity plan (BCP),
2. Maintaining, planning and continuously improving an existing BCP for maximum long-term effectiveness.

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Purchase the BS25999 BCMS Implementation Toolkit & Manager’s Guide before Friday 19th February, and we’ll send you a free book: Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity, Second Edition (Soft Cover).

BS25999 is best practice for Business Continuity Management, and this toolkit contains all the templates and tools that enable a BC manager to quickly and effectively implement a BCMS in line with BS25999. The free book is a beginner’s guide to disaster recovery (DR) and business continuity (BC). It’s written in a question and answer format allowing the reader to easily comprehend the subject matter. FREE!

This toolkit also contains electronic copies of the following specialist guides:
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If you’re implementing a business continuity management system (BCMS), in-line with BS25999 and want to save time and money, the BS25999 BCMS Implementation Toolkit is must-buy resource!

The BS25999 BCMS Implementation Toolkit contains document templates, tools and references that enable you to quickly and efficiently produce your own tailored versions of all the essential documents needed to become certified against BS25999.

This BS25999 BCMS Implementation Toolkit Special Offer contains electronic copies of the following specialist guides:
	BS25999 A Pocket Guide; Business Continuity and BS25999: A Combined Glossary; Business Continuity Management: a Manager’s Guide to BS25999, a concise and practical guide to implementing this new benchmark for business continuity management. FREE – Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity, Second Edition (Soft Cover), when your order before midnight on Friday!

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You can even try before you buy! There is a free demo version of this toolkit available.

BS25999 is best practice for Business Continuity Management, and the BS25999 BCMS Implementation Toolkit contains all the templates and tools that enable a BC manager to quickly and effectively implement a BCMS in line with BS25999. BS25999-2:2007 specifies at clause 3.4.1.1, that the BCMS (Business Continuity Management System) must, as a minimum, contain the following documents:

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The recent (and current) bad weather accross the UK, and other parts of the world, acts as a timely reminder that all organisations, no matter their size or location, should have a business continuity plan in place.

Many organisations will have suffered minor disruptions due to staff being unable to get into work or deliveries of vital stock being delayed, but those organisations who have already got an effective business continuity management system (BCMS) in place, particularly a BCMS that is certified against the BS25999 standard, will have been prepared and able to get back to usual levels of service quicker than their less-prepared competitors.
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It is quite usual for shareholders and customers to consider an organisation to be well managed and quite often this is true. There are however, some occasions when that expectation may not ring true; Take business continuity for example:

If a shareholder, customer or any other stakeholder where to ask senior managers within your organisation if you have adequate business resiliance plans in place; or how long it would take you to recover from any given scenario, how confident would your senior managers be in their response?

Would they be able to explain your business continuity plans in such a way that satisfies the stakeholder and more importantly, would the business continuity plan stand up in such an event?
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Business owners have been returning to their flood-damaged properties in Cumbria this week to assess the damage after unprecedented rainfall prompted some of the country’s worst ever flooding.

The full extent of the damage caused by these floods will not be known for some time; but it’s estimated that flood claims could exceed £100m!

Business owners and managers, upon viewing the devastating scenes broadcast on television during the floods, will be questioning how their organisation would cope in similar circumstances and, for the sake of their very survival, will ensure adequate business continuity plans are put in place.

It sometimes takes a disaster like this to remind people of the very real threat that organisations face and the possible implications which could result if not fully prepared.
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Business Continuity management (BCM), is essentially a form of risk managment that deals with the risk of business activities or processes being interupted by external factors, as distinct from business or commercial risk such as, for example, the loss of a supplier.

All organisations conduct risk management in connection with many, or even all of their activities; however, this is often done intuitively and is unlikely to cover all aspects of the organisation’s operations.

BS25999 is the best practice standard for business continuity plans and every organisation should, for its own survival, follow as much of the BS25999 guidance as is appropriate for its specific circumstances.

Need a route-map to achieving BS25999 certification?

Don’t want to waste time reinventing wheels or money on high consultancy fees?

Then you need this set of books and tools to chart a steady course to BS25999 certification!
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One-off, Never to be repeated Course offer!

Understanding Business Continuity Management Best Practice and the BS25999 Standard

• Save £195
• Free Knowledgebank Subscription
• Free Managers Guide to BS25999

There are just a few seats left on next Thursday’s London based training course (19 November 2009), and we’re offering you the chance to book for just £300!

As well as saving £195, you will receive free access to our KnowledgeBank subscription service until December 31st 2009!

Delegates will also receive their own free copy of the world’s first and only manual on implementing a BS25999 Business Continuity Management system, Business Continuity Management: a Manager’s Guide to BS25999!

What does this course cover?

This one-day course provides comprehensive and practical coverage of Business Continuity Management best practice ambodied in BS25999:
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