Rothstein Associates Inc.

PRACTICAL GUIDE TO BUSINESS CONTINUITY ASSURANCE
by Andrew McCrackan

This book offers a methodology for business continuity management - an approach designed
to bind and enhance risk management, disaster prevention, and disaster recovery efforts to
an optimum level of efficiency. It features a start-to-finish quantitative framework to assess,
improve, and benchmark your organization’s business continuity capabilities in response to
potential terrorist acts, hackers, natural disasters, and other business-threatening events or
errors. The book’s seven-level capability model guides you through implementing preventive
and defensive measures to reduce the risk of such events. From vulnerability analysis, risk
rating, and crisis management to server consolidation, data redundancy, and worker safety,
the book provides both strategic and practical solutions to the many continuity challenges
you
may encounter in various heightened-risk scenarios.

It also places disaster recovery within the larger context of business continuity management,
helping you establish crucial linkages to facilitate optimal disaster recovery efforts should a
crisis event prevail. Supported by detailed case studies and illustrative charts, this guide
helps you set the standard for increased awareness and vigilance from boardroom to mail
room, and successfully bring about an end-to-end continuity assurance program that is built
into, not onto, your organization.

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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION - PURPOSE & SCOPE
How to Use This Book
Current Standards & Literature
Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery
Gap Analysis
Integration of the Organization
Business & IT
Health & Safety
Security
Terrorism
Finance & Motivation
Insuring for Disaster
Selected Bibliographies

APPROACH
Key Components of Operation
Events & Event Responses
Facets of Business Continuity
Legacy Approach
Continuity Across the Organization

METHODOLOGY
Overview
Offensive Stream
Defensive Stream
The Maturity Model
Achievement & Quality Assurance
Knowledge Transfer & Resource Management
Communication. Problem Solving & Root Cause.

LEVEL 1: RATIONALIZATION
Organizational Positioning
Team Structure. Roles & Responsibilities
Resourcing
Management Tools
Security & Safety
Level 1 Performance Indicators

LEVEL 2: RISK REDUCTION
Vulnerability Analysis
Corrective & Preventative Action
Risk Identification
Risk Mitigation
Security & Safety
Level 2 Performance Indicators.

LEVEL 3: RATING
Business Impact Assessment (BIA)
Criticality Rating
Quantitative Analysis
Risk Rating
Security & Safety
Level 3 Performance Indicators.

LEVEL 4: RIGOR
Change & Configuration Management
Contingency Planning
Crisis Management
Design Assurance
Backup & Tape Management
Security & Safety
Level 4 Performance Indicators.

LEVEL 5: ROBUSTNESS
Server Consolidation
Storage Area Network (SAN)
Enterprise Application Integration (EAI)
Common Operating Environment (COE)
Distributed Systems
Renewal
Security & Safety
Level 5 Performance Indicators

LEVEL 6: RESILIENCE
Capability Configuration
Replication
Data Integrity
Data Redundancy
Geographic Diversity
People & Process
Associated Benefits
Security & Safety
Level 6 Performance Indicators.

LEVEL 7: RECOVERY
Capability Configuration
Recovery Profiling
Fail-over Scenarios
Disaster Declaration
Fail-back
Environment Management
License Management
Location
Workplace Recovery
Testing
Security & Safety
Level 7 Performance Indicators

CONTINUITY ASSURANCE ACHIEVEMENT RATING (CAAR)
Rating Matrix
Capability Scoring
Maturity Progression
Audit

QUALITY ASSURANCE
Fundamental Concepts
Framework
Purpose & Strategy
Quality Balance
Approach

OUTSOURCING & COMMERCIAL MANAGEMENT
Insource or Outsource
Recovery Site Providers
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Running a Commercial Process
Vendor Selection
Negotiating Contracts
Ethics

CASE STUDIES
Study 1 - Telecommunications
Study 2 - Mining & Energy

SUMMATION
List of Acronyms & Abbreviations
Index

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ANDREW B. MCCRACKAN is an independent consultant with more than 10 years of senior
management experience across a number of the world’s leading companies. Consulting
primarily through major global management consultancies, he is a highly regarded business
continuity and disaster recovery specialist. His engagements have brought him to locations
worldwide, including many parts of Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

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Available: November, 2004. 220 pages. Order #DR738.
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