b'The Tech Cumulus February 2024. continued from Coverstorm knocks out your Internet, a disasterlikelihood and impact of these risks todissemination methods (e.g., e-mail, recovery plan restores data access and any ITunderstand what youre preparing for. social media, website updates).services you may have lost.2.Risk assessment. What types of crises6.Alternative operations. If your main office WHY A BCP IS IMPORTANT could disrupt your business? These couldisnt usable or accessible, where will your range from natural disasters, like floodsteam work? Do you have relationships Lets say your office suffers a major fireor earthquakes, to cyber-attacks or awith alternate suppliers if your primary incident. Do you know where and how yourkey employee leaving unexpectedly. Butones areunavailable?employees would work? Would they be abledont linger too long on this step because to handle customer calls? Where would youryou cant possibly think through every7.Review schedule. Your business will executive team meet to make critical, time- scenariofocusonrecovery. evolve, and so should your continuity sensitive decisions? In addition to providing aplan. Create a schedule to run drills and plan for restoring your IT systems, a BCP is a3.Recovery strategies. For each criticalupdate your plan regularly. Also, distribute practical framework for your entire companysfunction and process, develop strategiesit to everyone who needs to know, so resiliency and financialsustainability. to recover during a disruption. Thiseveryone knows their role during a crisis.might include alternative methods of Additionally, people want to know you have itoperation, using different locations,IS A BCP RIGHT FOR together. If you hesitate or flounder in responseemploying backup systems, etc. ProTip:YOURBUSINESS?to an emergency, youll lose the trust of yourditch wordy manuals and use flow team and customers, and thats incredibly hardcharts and checklists to communicateThere is absolutely no companybig or small to get back. plans toyour team.thats not at risk of a disaster. According to a 2022 threat report by ConnectWise, nearly WHAT YOUR BCP NEEDS 4.Data backup and recovery. Checktwo in three midsize businesses experienced (and double-check) that all your criticala ransomware attack in the last 18 months. A few basic elements make up a solidcompany data is regularly backed up andOne in five victims spent $250,000 or more to BCP framework for every business, nocan be restored quickly. Decide on off-siterecover. The odds are not in your favor when it matteryourindustry. storage and cloud backups and establishcomes to business risk.1.Your companys critical functions.protocols for data recovery. Remember, the goal of a BCP is to minimize What are the must-do activities in your5.Communication plan. This includesdisruption to your business and help you get business? This could be anything fromhow youll communicate with employees,back to normal operations as fast as possible. order fulfillment to customer support.customers and stakeholders duringGet with your team and review your BCP today. Knowing whats absolutely critical toa crisis. Who says what and throughIf you dont have one, consider this your sign your company helps you prioritize duringwhich channels? Include contactto get it done.a disruptive emergency. Assess thelists, communication templates and I DIDNT KNOWUnfortunately, That Excuse Doesnt Replenish Your Bank Account, Cartoon Of Resolve A Data Breach Or Erase Any Fines And Lawsuits. The MonthIts coming . That day a hacker steals critical data, rendering your office useless . That day whenyour bank account or credit card is compromised . Or that day whenyour customers private lives are uprooted .Cybercriminals and hackers are constantly inventing NEW ways to infiltrate your company, steal your assets and disrupt your life. The ONLY way to STOP THEM is this:You Must Constantly Educate Yourself On How To Protect Whats Yours!Now, for a limited time, we have the perfect way to help reduce your risk and keep you safe! Simply sign up to receive our FREE Cyber Security Tip of the Week. Well send these byte-sized quick-read tips to your e-mail inbox. Every tip is packed with a unique and up-to-date real-world solution that keeps you one step ahead of the bad guys. And because so few people know about these security secrets, every week youll learn something new!Get your FREE Cyber Security Tip of the Weekat www.Kloud9IT.com/weeklysecuritytipTechnology That Works!216-393-24842'