Business Continuity

The Role of Microservices in Business Continuity

In IT, the days of monolithic computer applications are numbered. The new approach is to develop microservices, smaller applications that can be linked together to build a larger entity, these smaller apps being swapped in and out as required. Those of you who already met or worked with service-oriented architectures (SOA) will see similarities between this earlier model and today’s version. Web SOAP (simple object access protocol) services are yet another version. They are all based on the notion of calling up loosely coupled entities to accomplish different results, and – possibly – go elsewhere for those results, if the first entity is out of action. With a little broader thinking, these microservices could open the door to other advances in business continuity too. Read more

2016-03-29T16:23:27+11:00By |Business Continuity|

Business Continuity Awareness Week, May 16, 2016 – More than Just Happy Returns?

For Business Continuity Awareness Week (BCAW) aficionados, the first piece of news is that BCAW 2016 won’t be happening in March, as in previous years, but in May. To be precise, BCAW 2016 will run from the 16th to the 20th of May, with a calendar of different events and a particular theme: return on investment for business continuity. As BCAW organisers point out, organisations can and should look beyond the advantages if a disruption occurs, to add in positive impacts on winning sales, reducing insurance premiums, and so on. Yet there may be a possibility to go further still. Read more

2016-03-22T10:52:29+11:00By |Business Continuity|

Starting Off on the Right Foot with IT Service Continuity Management

In a certain sense, if you want to start off correctly with IT service continuity management or ITSCM, then don’t start. Or rather, don’t start your ITSCM before you start – or your organisation starts – the overall business continuity planning. The whole IT function must be driven by business requirements. Likewise, IT continuity must be architected according to the overall needs of the business. But does that mean that IT is fated to be entirely reactive? Read more

Pros and Cons of Business Continuity in the Cloud

For many, the cloud represents business continuity. After all, it’s reputed to be scalable, secure and resilient, as well as being affordable, allowing organisations to start and stop systems and store and delete data at will. But what if your cloud provider was not the perfect embodiment of these sterling qualities? Before you commit to the cloud for your own business continuity, it may be wise to check the following points. Read more

2016-02-29T12:40:43+11:00By |Business Continuity|

Is Business Continuity Ready for Machine Learning?

Russian author Tolstoy wrote that every happy family looks alike, yet every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. Translated into a business continuity context, the message is that enterprises and organisations that experience no disruptions to business have often identified the same core set of things to do properly – and which they do indeed do properly. Those whose operations falter or grind to a halt have neglected an essential aspect. However, the nature of that aspect may differ from one enterprise to another, or even within the same enterprise (for successive disruptions). There may be many points to be checked to avoid business discontinuity. Could machine learning speed the process and help to spot business continuity failures before they happen? Read more

2016-02-16T11:52:55+11:00By |Business Continuity|

Why You Need a Backup Solution for Your Cloud Backup Solution

Is the cloud the answer to your backup problems? Will it automatically let you put your disaster recovery plan into action in the blink of an eye and get your systems running again after a crash?” Despite the reputation the cloud has acquired for keeping your data safe, there is more to robust, effective backup than simply copying your files over to a remote server in somebody else’s secure data centre. For users who have been conscientiously using the cloud to mirror their data processing on local servers and PCs, the following may come as something of a shock. Read more

Hiring in DR and BC from the Start

If your organization has asked you to hire people to plan and manage its disaster recovery and business continuity, how should you set about it? The natural reaction of many hiring managers is to look for relevant skills and experience. However, this may not be the best approach. What you really want to know is if a candidate has a burning desire to help your organization to recover from IT disaster and continue operating even when the going gets tough. Even a previous title like “Business Continuity Manager” does not necessarily guarantee the passion for the job that you want to see in an applicant. You need another approach. Read more

“Selling” Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery to Your Suppliers

How many enterprises or organisations produce everything they need in order to do business? The answer today is very few, if any. Practically all companies rely on third party suppliers, somewhere, somehow. With this reliance comes risk, and the question of business continuity: what happens to our business if supplier X ceases to supply us? Many enterprises tackle the problem by using multiple suppliers, possibly in multiple locations, for the same supplies. However, in the interests of efficiency and lower overheads, there is also a case to be made for helping a supplier to become more resilient by “selling” its good practices in business continuity and disaster recovery. Read more

Your Business Continuity as Your Customers See It

It’s not always easy to look at things from somebody else’s point of view. Sales and marketing people have to do so if they want to build products that customers want and get the customer’s order. Successful supply chains rely on each link meeting the requirements of the next link, meaning the next customer, right up to the end-customer again. Similarly, business continuity has its internal customers. BC needs to be “sold” to departments to get them actively involved in making sure they can keep on working even in adverse conditions. Now external business customers also want to know what BC precautions their suppliers are taking. It may not be long before consumers do too. Read more

2015-09-29T15:13:17+10:00By |Business Continuity|

Reversing the Vicious Spiral of Poor Compliance

A major banking organisation was recently in the news for its failure to prevent money laundering and criminal activity. A statement from prosecutors indicated that the bank’s procedures had deficiencies to such a level that making them public would incite further serious crime. While this example comes from the financial sector, it applies to enterprise security and business continuity in general. When cracks start to form, a natural reaction is try to paper over them instead of admitting that the structure itself is faulty and rebuilding it appropriately. But what happens if the cracks keep getting bigger? Read more

2015-09-22T09:18:35+10:00By |Business Continuity|