keys to implementing a BCP and DRP (Business Continuity Plan – Disaster Recovery Plan)

In recent times, organizations have become increasingly concerned about incidents that could jeopardize their business. Events as shocking as attacks, large-scale cyberattacks or pandemics are no longer considered implausible scenarios, opening the way for new strategies and business models. In the field of Business Continuity, we can define these contingency scenarios as events that could lead to a prolonged interruption of activities, creating a situation of loss of business, emergency and/or crisis. To mitigate these risks, it is essential to implement a series of coordinated processes and procedures that enable the delivery of products and services while safeguarding the integrity of the organization. We refer to Business Continuity plans and procedures (BCP and DRP).

There are several plans and documents that guide organizations in the face of contingency scenarios; in the prioritization, communication and action in the face of these events, where it is preferable to have a previously defined action strategy than to resort to improvisation.

The Business Continuity Plan (BCP)BCP is a set of plans and procedures that allow an organization to resume its critical activities after a disruptive incident. This plan covers all key areas of the business and is activated in response to situations that could disrupt operation, such as a breakdown in a critical production line or a threat to data security. A good BCP provides a guide for coordinated action from all areas of the organization, minimizing losses and ensuring rapid recovery. Example of BCP: As an example, in the event of a severe breakdown in a critical production line in our facilities, it may be necessary to activate our BCP, initiating a series of processes, actions and communications that allow us to return to activity in the shortest possible time.

The Recovery Plan (DRP) is a key piece in business continuity, specifically focused on the recovery of information systems and technological infrastructure.
This plan allows organizations to quickly restore their technology operations after an incident, minimizing the impact of disruption on critical processes.
An effective Recovery Plan ranges from the restoration of servers and databases, to the reactivation of essential applications and technological platforms that support the daily operation of the company.
Key points of a DRP include:

• Data backup: Ensuring that all critical data is backed up and can be restored quickly.
• System Recovery: Detail the steps required to restart servers, restore applications and services.
• Post-recovery assessment: Review the impact of the incident and evaluate the effectiveness of the DRP for future improvements.

Example of DRP:

In the event of a cyberattack affecting critical servers, a DRP can guide the actions needed to recover infrastructure, restore backups, and ensure that digital operations are back up and running.

Although both seek to mitigate the impact of incidents, the BCP covers all critical business operations, while the DRP focuses solely on the recovery of technological infrastructures.
It is important to note that both must be complementary to ensure an effective response to any contingency.
For example, in the event of a failure in critical software, DRP would be activated to restore technological infrastructure, but BCP would not necessarily be activated if the incident does not affect general operations.

Depending on breakdown severity and nature of incident, it may be necessary to activate other specific plans, such as those mentioned below.

• Business Continuity Specific Plans:with these plans, we refer to actions aimed at recovering one or several activities, depending on specific contingency scenario.

Continuing with the previous example, in the event of a breakdown of our production line, we can activate a specific plan previously conceived, which guides us in the resumption of production. Some issues that this plan could contain are:

1. Criteria for use of a safety stock: if estimated resolution time may endanger delivery to client in time and form or even to cause legal or contractual breaches.
2. Alternative production method: use of secondary line, temporary outsourcing, etc.
3. 3. Contact with personnel and maintenance suppliers.
4. Information reporting requirements: to periodically scale status of contingency and actions, update resolution time estimate, etc.
5. Activation of other plans, procedures and convening of decision-making committees

The Crisis Management Plan sets out how a crisis will be triggered, the organizational structures that need to be put in place, and how information will be scaled.
It is essential that, when an incident is detected, this plan is activated to ensure fast and effective decision-making.

Communication Plans are essential to ensure that stakeholders, both internal and external, are properly informed during a crisis.
These plans should include key messages for employees, customers, partners, and media.

After managing a contingency, Return to Normal Plans allow the organization to recover its usual level of activity.
A good example is the phased de-escalation that many organizations have followed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, adjusting their operations as restrictions were lifted.

Emergency Plans are procedures that are activated in the event of a risk to people or key assets, such as infrastructure.
These plans should include detailed steps for safe evacuations and minimizing the impact on people and property.
It is important to note that not all plans need to be activated at the same time, and activation will depend on the type and magnitude of the event.

Is your organization prepared to face a crisis?
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