Business Continuity » Uncategorized

Are You Prepared for a Zombie Attack?

Roberta J. Witty — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:48:02 +0000

Most of us think about computer-based zombies but this survey provides some needed humorous diversion from all of the weather-related power outages in the Northeast U.S. Take the Zombie Risk Management Assessment to see why. It amazing provides some core best practices from BCM. Belated Happy Halloween!!!

In Memory of 9/11

Roberta J. Witty — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 12:43:34 +0000

Love.

Hope..

Compassion…

Why Does It Take So Long to Restore Electricity?

Roberta J. Witty — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 22:14:26 +0000

Lots of citizens in Connecticut are complaining about how long it took (or is taking) to restore power to their residences after the impact of Hurricane Irene. I heard some interesting information today on my local NPR radio station: The Colin McEnroe Show spent the entire time on disaster preparedness. One of the guests – Arnold Chase – talked about why it can take so long today to restore power. What he presented was that today’s telephone pole, rather more accurately termed a utility pole, is not yesterday’s pole. Years ago when there were only telephone wires (and no longer telegraph wires which were the original use of the pole) to support, the pole was shorter. Today’s poles are higher – which automatically creates more danger in repair situations – and support not only telephone wires, but also electric power lines, cable TV and Internet wires and others. There are two types of electric power lines: distribution lines which carry the power which is dropped to the home and sub-transmission lines which carry higher voltage power from regional substations to local substations.

The highest set of wires are the electric power lines, so they are the first impacted by falling trees. Also, they are the most dangerous – you want them out of the way of telephone and cable company workers when they need access to the pole. In addition, the telephone, cable and other wires are bundled together and strung along from pole to pole on messenger lines – more stable than the electric power lines. When a pole is damaged, it takes coordination of all utility services companies to get things back in working order. In addition, the sub-transmission lines are high voltage wires that require specialized skills to install and maintain. And to get that job, you need at least five years of experience under your belt, resulting in a smaller pool of qualified electric utility personnel able to repair these lines.

I found this information to be useful in understanding why it takes so long to restore power. We in CT were warned that we could be out of power for days – not just one or two but five or more – so this explanation puts that warning into perspective. I am buying an automatic-cutover propane-powered generator. And I just bought camping LED light lanterns. I wanted to buy a floor sump pump in addition to the sump pump already in my basement floor, but the salesman at the local home repair store told me I was overdoing it – Thank You Sir.

Surviving Hurricane Irene: What Worked, What Didn’t, What Was New?

Roberta J. Witty — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 15:23:57 +0000

As most of us are now on the other side of Hurricane Irene, we want to ask everyone what recovery controls worked, which didn’t and which were new for your organization or your town. For example, the local fire departments around my area (Northwest CT) are offering charging stations for citizens to use for devices such as cell phones, laptops and so forth. This service is a big boost to telework programs which depend on the workforce having power from their home or distributed location.

Also, it seems that emergency/mass notification services (EMNS) were used extensively to alert the population of storm status: NYC through NotifyNYC and NYC-OEM sent regular pre- and post- alerts regarding the event, I received voicemails or emails from my local CT town management, Connecticut Light & Power, and JPMorganChase alerting me about disaster preparedness status and steps to take if I needed assistance.

Another new feature was the use of texting: If one texted the name “Irene” to 501-01, National Grid would text regular updates on electrical power restoration status to your cell phone. This feature definitely was not around back in the days of Hurricane Gloria (1985) or Bob (1991) and was quite useful since over 500K National Grid customers lost power.

Also, going to wifi hot spots at venues like Starbucks and McDonald’s is certainly a new capability. How many of you used one of these options?

And, on August 26, 2011 FEMA launched its first-ever smartphone application and text messaging updates. Available right now only on the Android smartphone, Blackberry and iPhone support will be coming in a few weeks.

What were your experiences if you were in an impacted area?

Roberta Witty and John Morency

Best Practices for IT Organizations in Response to the ‘Rolling Blackouts’

Roberta J. Witty — Wed, 18 May 2011 19:18:40 +0000

The rolling blackouts designed to conserve electricity following the earthquake and tsunami in northern Japan continue to present serious challenges for enterprises. Gartner’s best practices can help IT organizations protect their infrastructures and support their workforces.

Key Findings

The earthquake and tsunami that struck the Tohoku district in March, and the power plant failures and other infrastructure problems that followed, continue to disrupt communications, transportation and other infrastructure.
The Japanese government and Tepco have implemented a plan for rolling electrical blackouts across Tepco’s coverage area, designed to reduce power usage and avoid total power failures.
These blackouts present serious challenges for Japanese enterprises, particularly in maintaining the operational integrity of their data centers and offering alternative system access to remote workers.

Tepco has said it will not carry out its planned rolling blackouts this summer, but electrical supply continues to present challenges for Japanese enterprises. Gartner has developed a set of best practices for various scenarios and affected parties for IT organizations in Japan and worldwide. The appropriate response to the rolling blackout depends heavily on whether or not the enterprise’s data center has its own dedicated backup power generator.

Read more about the best practices – if you are an organization impacted by the earthquake/tsunami or not – in the full report by my colleagues Masahiko Ishibashi, Eiichi Matsubara, Nagayoshi Nakano and Katsuo Hori. Being a Gartner customer may be required.

Gartner’s BCM Consultancy Survey, 2011 Report Published

Roberta J. Witty — Mon, 16 May 2011 03:39:03 +0000

For many organizations, engaging external assistance can often be the step needed to develop, mature and modernize a business continuity management program. Gartner’s recent survey of BCM consulting providers and services delivers the information clients need to make informed engagement decisions.

The findings in this research are based on a joint Gartner and Business Continuity Institute (BCI) survey of business continuity management (BCM) consulting firms conducted during the first quarter of 2011. The survey objective was to better understand the breadth and depth of BCM service offerings. It was sent by BCI to its self-identified consultant membership and by Gartner to members on its BCM consultancy list that opted to participate. The survey closed on 4 March 2011.

Key Findings

Many firms say they cover many BCM disciplines, but terminology varies across industries and countries, and so, misunderstandings are common.
There is an increased need for consultants with specific skill sets:
- Strategic program development
- Tactical program improvements
- Pragmatic, situation-based expertise
A strong BCM program cannot be run by consultants alone. Therefore, BCM expertise must be brought in-house to ensure its continuing success.
Due to the 2008 global financial crisis (GFC), consultant ranks have risen due to the layoffs of BCM professionals, and many of these people have taken jobs as consultants while waiting for a full-time BCM practitioner position.
Fifty percent of BCM consultancies are small, with one to four full-time consultants onboard.
Organization certification support is low — 13% of firms surveyed have BS 25999 Lead Auditor certification — in alignment with the existing low level of organizations that have such certification.
Ninety-two percent of BCM consulting engagements are for planning services.
Only one-quarter (24%) of BCM consulting firms offer a guarantee for services rendered.

Read the full report here: BCM Consultancy Survey, 2011. You may need to be a Gartner client to access the report.

Gartner Research Addressing the Japan Earthquake/Tsunami Disaster

Roberta J. Witty — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 17:21:35 +0000

Gartner Research has taken many steps over the last few weeks to supply our customers around the globe with strategic and tactical advice regarding the impact of the Japan earthquake/tsunami disaster.

First, we stood up for our Japanese speaking customers a special Business Continuity Management site to provide news and easy access to many business continuity management and supply chain management notes translated into Japanese.

Second, we stood up an English language Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity web site for all other customers to get easy access to these same research notes.

Third, we have published a number of new research notes related to the disaster, including:

Business Continuity Management/Supply Chain Management

• Japan Disaster Shows the Importance of ‘Open’ Crisis Management Tools
• Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Reaffirm the Need for Sensors
• Five Key Supply Chain Actions to Take When Disaster Strikes
• How Are Supply Chains Responding to the Ongoing Crisis in Japan?
• Best Practices for Recovering Critical Data From Damaged Hard Drives and Other Physical Media
• Management Update: Top 10 Business Trends Impacting the Utility Industry in 2011
• How to Manage the Sustainability Impact Triggered by the Japanese Energy Crisis
• Toolkit: Assessing the Effectiveness of Recovery Plans Following a Disaster
• Remote/Teleworking Practices Offer Opportunities to Help Japanese Businesses Recover From Disaster
• Best Practices for Making Insurance Claims Following the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

Technology Market Impact

• Impact of Japan Earthquake on IT Services Market
• Japan Earthquake Will Cause Shortage of BT Resin in Electronics Supply Chain
• Japan’s Earthquake Creates Mixed Outlook for Memory Market
• Prepare for Printer Supply Shortages Following Japan’s Earthquake
• Japan’s Earthquake Creates Risks and Opportunities for Electronics and Semiconductor Companies
• Weekly Memory Pricing Index, 25 March 2011
• MCU Manufacturers Will Face Some Challenges After Crisis in Japan
• Disasters in Japan Make Semiconductor Industry Face Silicon Shortage
• Impact of the Disaster on the Japanese and Global Software Markets
• Forecast Analysis: Mobile Devices, Worldwide, 2008-2015, 1Q11 Update
• Disasters in Japan Lead to Continued Uncertainty in Lithium-ion Battery Supply for Notebooks and Consumer Devices
• Foundries Can Stem Semiconductor Production Losses by Japanese Vendors
• Forecast Alert: IT Spending, Worldwide, 1Q11 Update
• Forecast Analysis: Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment, Worldwide, 2010-2015, 1Q11 Update

Gartner Invest

• Invest Implications: Impact of Japan Earthquake on IT Services Market
• Invest Implications: Japan Earthquake Will Cause Shortage of BT Resin in Electronics Supply Chain
• Invest Implications: Prepare for Printer Supply Shortages Following Japan’s Earthquake
• Invest Implications: Foundries Can Stem Semiconductor Production Losses by Japanese Vendors
• Invest Implications: Disasters in Japan Lead to Continued Uncertainty in Lithium-ion Battery Supply for Notebooks and Consumer Devices
• Invest Implications: Japan’s Earthquake Creates Risks and Opportunities for Electronics and Semiconductor Companies
• Invest Implications: Weekly Memory Pricing Index, 25 March 2011
• Invest Implications: Disasters in Japan Make Semiconductor Industry Face Silicon Shortage

We continue to monitor the disaster and will be publishing additional advice for our customers. Searching www.gartner.com for “Japan earthquake” will return all research notes published to date on the topic.

Is U.S. Homeland Security Going to be Successful with Retailing “Hometown Security”?

Roberta J. Witty — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 05:41:12 +0000

Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on their web site “The Blog @ Homeland Security” that they have partnered with Wal-Mart to further promote DHS’ campaign of “If You See Something, Say Something”. Tagged “Hometown Security”, the video of Janet Napolitano, Security of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security advises Wal-Mart shoppers to say something to the police, sheriff or Wal-Mart management if they see something suspicious taking place in the parking lot or store. Not bad advice when you come to think of it.

But isn’t it obvious to do so? Are Americans THAT removed, resigned, scared, numb or distrustful to take action on what we inherently know as something “fishy”? Or, is DHS taking a page from a prior era with the major marketing success of “Smokey Bear” for fire prevention?

Depending on how Wal-Mart rolls out the program, shoppers may not even notice the announcement. I know for myself, as soon as I enter a store, I bypass anything and everything – notices, greeters and so forth – that distracts me from getting my shopping finished. It’s a rare occasion for me to lollygag. And putting diapers next to the milk has absolutely no effect on me – maybe because I don’t shop for either. But I have my list and that’s what I buy.

DHS has already rolled out “If You See Something, Say Something” in transportation environments, but in many of those forums, you are typically a captive audience – you can’t easily get off the subway to avoid the message.

What do you think? Would you notice the announcement in a store? Would you take time out of your busy life to watch it? Are there better ways for DHS to consumer-enable the message? Let me know: I’m of two minds on this one: national security is of utmost importance but is the message channel the right approach?

Gartner’s BCM Program Maturity Self-Assessment Published

Roberta J. Witty — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 22:33:49 +0000

In Q3/2010, Gartner published 18 maturity self-assessment tools under the trade name of ITScore. One of the tools is for BCM: ITScore for Business Continuity Management. This ITScore-based Maturity Assessment represents an evaluation of an enterprise BCM program based on key indicators of maturity, which encompass management processes, personnel and organization, technologies and tools, and business culture. Gartner has identified five maturity levels: Initial, Developing, Defined, Managed and Optimizing. Check it out.

Collaboration Tools During a Crisis? What Are You Using?

Roberta J. Witty — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 22:25:54 +0000

At the end of 2010, most workers can’t live without collaboration tools – at least instant messaging to communicate immediately to a group of co-workers. But during a power outage that takes out your data center, and therefore access to these tools through a controlled IT infrastructure, collaboration is of utmost need. This is where mobile devices such as smartphones become part of the recovery toolkit. But unless you have access to another collaboration infrastructure, they are little value.

I’m wondering what tools your firm is using during such events? They have to be hosted by the vendor since your data center is down. What about Yammer, SocialCast, SocialText Signals, Sametime/LotusLive from IBM, Lync/BPOS from Microsoft, Google Apps? Is anyone using them or another tool for emergency purposes, and if so, how?