ABSTRACT
Everyone understands the importance of developing a
business continuity plan (BCP) to ensure the timely recov-
ery of mission-critical business processes following a
damaging event. There are two objectives, however, and
often, the second objective is overlooked return to normal
operations as soon as possible. The reason for the urgency
to return to normal operations is that backup and work-
around procedures are certainly not “business as usual.”
Backup capabilities, whether due to the loss of primary
premises or primary data, probably only include those
business activities that are critical to getting by. The longer
a company must operate in this mode, the more difficult the
catch-up will be. There are several steps that can be taken
in advance to prepare for the timely, efficient return to
normalization. The purpose of this entry is to discuss the
steps and resources to ensure total recovery. In addition, it
is important to understand how to handle damaged equip-
ment and media in order to minimize the loss associated
with a disaster.
