Would your businr survive adisastei?s

Certified instructors help identify essential business functions, establish recovery strategies, balance risk versus cost of protection, and develop a plan that is integrated into a business' daily operations. The intensive twoday workshop is available on-site, at regional workshops, and online.

Attendees learn specific methodology and exercises to help them apply what they learn, no matter the size of their company. The Disasterl Disaster Recovery Planning Guide, a 200-page guide to developing a customized DRP, provides several important templates, including a Business Impact Analysis and Risk Analysis. The workshop also includes a half-day of consulting and certification, once the plan is completed.

"The DRP manual will be extremely helpful in putting our plan together," says attendee Tony Taylor, LyfTym Building Products, Greenville, S.C. "Every company, regardless of size or type, needs to address these issues."

Using the program, Hartnup says a small to mid-sized company should be able to develop a disaster recovery plan for less than $5,000.

Ricky Gunter, Leeds Building Products, Kennesaw, Ga., notes the program would apply to any industry. In addition to lumberyards, the workshops have been attended by everyone from a mattress manufacturer to a travel agency.

"It is so much more thorough than I would have done on my own. I plan on completing ours by December 31, and I can tell you that I will certainly sleep much more soundly at night, knowing that our plan is in place," says Rhonda Millick, c.f.o., Franklin Lumber. Boise. Id.

"In a large organization, people are just numbers," says Hartnup. "Small to medium-sized companies generally have a lot longer retention of employees, with people there 20, 25 years. The company has a responsibility not just to the business, but also to their employees and their families who depend on the business continuing."

Notes Henry Couser, Magbee Contractors Supply, Duluth, Ga.:

"Failure to plan is irresponsible and possibly criminal."

Disaster Recovery Questionnaire

Answer with a 1 (Are very prepared and have no concems about this), 2 (Have parliallv addressed this issue and are at moderate rlsk), or 3 (Have not addressed this issue).

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1. Does your business have a comprehensive, tested disaster recovery plan (DRP)?

2. Do you have multiple copies of your DRP off-site?

3. ls your business intenuption insurance coverage adequate to pay your creditors, employees and linance your own needs during a prolonged shutdown?

4. Do you know how to contact your insurance aoenl24l7?

5. Do yiu have a list ol critical contacts (customers, vendors, creditors, etc.) ofisite and has it been verified within the last 3 months?

6. Has a Risk Analysis/Securily Audit been conducted in the last 12 months?

_ 7. Does your receptionist know what to do if helshe receives a bomb threat?

_ 8. ls your computer or server room area located wilhin a multi-hour rated lirewall?

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9. ls the computer or server room locked or electronically secured?

10. ls all critical business data backed up and taken ofi-site daily?

_ 11. Are backup tapes periodically tested/ restored lo verifu readabilitv?

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12. Are CDs ol ill required'operating systems and applications stored off-site?

_ 13. Are critical contracts and other sensitive paper documenls copied and stored otf-site either physically or electronically?

_ 14. Does your organization automaticafly scan all e-mail attachments for viruses?

15. Do all seruers, workstations, and laptops have anti-virus sottware installed?

_ 15. HasyourPBX/telephone system been backed up within the last three monlhs?

_ 17. Does the recovery planning process have senior managementrs support?

_ 18. ls your cunent DRP integrated inio the daily business environment?

_ 19. Has your DRP been updated within the last 3 months?

_ 20. Do you feel your business will survive a disaster?

_ 21. Have you identified another site where you can go to set up temporary oflices in the event that you lose your facility?

Tolal:

2l-26-You are well prepared for a disaster and should be able to recover critical business functions within eslablished time frames.

27-38-You are currently vulnerable and additional planning efforts should be taken.

3{-43-Yov are at significant dsk