Last month we looked at understanding the risks associated with living through a disaster. This month, let's examine specific ways agencies can establish, maintain and implement a practical plan for disaster preparedness and business continuity. Backup systems
“The biggest mistake small business owners make is not adequately backing up their data,” said David Luft, senior vice president for product development at Computer Assocs.' SMB program office. His company's research has shown that more than half of all companies in the United States don't have a business continuance plan to prevent data loss. Agencies on tape backup systems should explore digital systems or, even better, off-site backup options. Live Vault(www.ironmountain.com/digital/server/), AmeriVault (www.amerivault.com) and Carbonite ( www.carbonite.com) are just three of the many resources available. If you plan to continue with tapes, replace them annually. Tapes have a 50 percent chance of failure after 1 year. Store tapes at a reasonable distance from the agency and not in someone's home. An ideal location is a safety deposit box in a bank at least 5 miles from your agency. Technology resources
Even smaller agencies can't afford to not include disaster preparedness and business continuity in their budgets. The following ideas will help you put together an effective disaster preparedness toolkit. o Laptop computers. Determine how many laptops are needed so staff may continue doing business if your agency is not accessible. Be sure to include extra batteries, connecting cables and other peripherals as needed. o Cell phones. Depending on the details of the disaster, your cell phones may be unavailable. Dedicated emergency phones help ensure phone access and eliminate nondisaster-related calls. Ask your local phone company if it automatically can transfer your phones to alternate numbers if service is lost or when a disaster is declared. o Analog phones. Your phone system may be unavailable in a disaster. For backup, install one or more analog phone jacks in the agency, and possibly at home for key people coordinating the disaster plan. An analog phone may provide phone access during a disaster. o Wireless Internet cards. Local phone service and cell towers will be overloaded during a disaster. Invest in a wireless card provided by AT&T, Verizon and other vendors to provide internet access during a disaster. o Flashlights. Flashlights and candles should be included in every disaster preparedness toolkit. Consider flashlights that are manually “wound up” rather than relying on batteries. o UPS. Every agency should have an uninterrupted power supply and, if warranted, a generator. Be aware that computers require specific types of power. Make sure the UPS or generator is rated to support your technology. o E-mail accounts/online chat. Set up Google e-mail (gMail) and MSN Messenger accounts that are only used during a disaster. This allows you to control the inflow of information and focus on disaster related communication. o Emergency lights. Emergency lights in the agency are usually designed to come on automatically when power is lost. o Battery maintenance. Keep batteries at room temperature and replace as needed, even if they have not been used. For rechargeable batteries, check manufacturer recommendations for fully discharging, then recharging.

Determine disaster specifics
Limit the number of people authorized to declare a disaster. When the disaster is declared, agency resources, staff and reputation are put on alert, which means there is a monetary and human cost each time a disaster is declared.

Each person authorized to declare a disaster should have written instructions detailing what constitutes a disaster and what actions are to be taken once the disaster is declared. For example:

1 Is this an alert or disaster? An “alert” announces that a disaster may be imminent, but not yet declared. A “disaster” means that the disaster preparedness plan has been activated. 2 What is the nature of your disaster situation? The most common types of disasters include: o Fire o Flooding (natural disaster or fire sprinkler system) o Computer failure o Communications failure o Internet failure o Key equipment failure o People issues, such as illness/resignations/maternity leave o Denial of access to the premises o Product defects o Bomb/terrorism threat o Legal/regulatory action o Utilities failure. 3 What is your agency's name and address? Decide exactly how the name of your agency will be recognized and authorized by the news media, carriers, utilities, customer and vendors. 4 What is the name and title of the person declaring the disaster? This is the name and title of the person declaring the disaster. This should match exactly with information provided to the news media, carriers, utilities, customers and vendors. 5 What are your contact numbers and e-mails? List contact information in order of the responsibilities assigned by the disaster preparedness/business continuity plan. Include agency and personal information for phone, e-mail and fax. 6 Will your agency require a password to declare a disaster? Your agency may determine that a password will be used to ensure accurate and responsible declaration of a disaster. This password should be available to each person authorized to declare a disaster, and changed after the disaster is over. 7 What systems are involved? Because of the confusion that can be present during a disaster, it is essential to have a written detail of every system that is affected by the disaster. This can include: o Network and servers (including manufacturer contacts, configuration information, serial numbers, IP addresses and passwords) o Phone systems (including technical information and contacts as well as configuration information and passwords) o Utilities (including contact information, required information by the provider, alternate contact information). Test your plan – repeatedly
Even if you have never declared a disaster, it is essential that you test your systems and plan to ensure viability and recoverability. If you have not verified that your back-up system is viable, your agency and customers are at risk. The following items should be tested on a regular basis: oBatteries. Follow manufacturer's instructions for testing and replacement. Note: Testing a battery with a tester is not always reliable because it is not testing the battery with a load. I personally have experienced battery failure even after indicating they were sufficiently charged. o Backup. Any type of backup (tapes, digital or off-site) should be tested twice a year. It is not necessary to test all files, but you should confirm that you are able to successfully restore and access different types of data. oUPS/generators. Follow your manufacturer's recommendations for testing. Generally, UPS and generator systems should be tested at least once a year. Be sure to test them under a standard load that represents realistic energy demands during a declared disaster. oLaptops/wireless cards. I would recommend testing your laptops at least twice a year. Part of this testing also may include data recovery during that part of testing.

Test your wireless cards and any other peripherals or third-party service providers you would rely on during a declared disaster.

Utilities
Work with local utilities and telecommunication providers to determine their testing procedures and what they provide during a disaster. oKeyed access to the agency. If your agency is in an office building, work with building management to test emergency access to the building. This is particularly important if access is granted by an electronic system that might be affected by the declared disaster. Your commitment to protection can become an important part of your competitive edge in your market. Don't forget to include elements of your plan in your marketing material and written service level agreements with your clients and prospects. You may be the only agency in the area that has a plan for disaster preparedness and business continuity. Next month, we will look at how to create your disaster preparedness plan.

Special Reports /

Agency Technology: When disaster strikes, Part 2: How to prepare

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