SMB Alert: You Need an IT Business Continuity Plan Now

You’ve heard the expression, “It’s all in the planning.” To ensure that your small or midsized business (SMB) is prepared to continue operating in the face of disaster, you’ve got to have an IT business continuity plan. Whether you encounter a pandemic, hurricane or cyberattack, a well-designed, comprehensive IT business continuity strategy is essential for maintaining a thriving business in the face of disaster. Unfortunately, many small and midsized business owners don’t realize the importance of having plans in place.

Disasters are chaotic, and you may not have access to your computers for a period of time – or perhaps never. Neglecting essential items during a disaster can cause delays or additional losses. Advance planning during a calm period can help you plan for ways to keep your business operational during the disaster.

What is a Business Continuity Strategy?

A business continuity strategy (BCS) is a plan that allows companies to keep their businesses operating in the face of a crisis and prepare to recover to full operations as quickly as possible as the crisis subsides. The plan must have its elements in place before, during and after a crisis. There are several key considerations addressed in a strong BCS:

Communications Contingencies – If your network has been compromised or your regular lines of communication are down, your company should:

• Have set guidelines for what events will trigger a BCS response
• Designate someone to be the point person for relaying information and a conduit for rolling out your BCS
• Use social media on a secure WiFi connection as an external means of communication. For example, a private group on an SNS platform accessible only by employees is an excellent way to keep your team on the same page

Workforce Expectations – In the event of a crisis, your employees need to know:

• Exactly what to do and what not to do
• Your company’s contact person and the communications chain of command

Q: Why is a business continuity strategy important for small businesses?

A: A continuity strategy helps companies prepare for unexpected disruptions such as natural disasters, cyberattacks or supply chain failures. Unlike large corporations, small businesses often lack the resources to absorb prolonged downtime, so even short interruptions can lead to financial loss or permanent closure. A solid continuity plan minimizes these risks by ensuring the business can maintain operations or quickly recover.

Business Continuity Plans should be reviewed and updated, and all staffers need to be kept informed and up to date with any changes to the BCS.

IT Disaster Recovery – The back end of your BCS must include disaster recovery. The IT disaster recovery plan includes:

• The backups for your systems, including IT contingencies for your most critical business functions and apps
• Methods for restoring all your business IT systems and regular operations as quickly as possible after an event

The overall goal is to mitigate losses, minimize downtime and get back to business. To achieve that goal, you must be prepared for a strong incident response.

Your BCS strategy must work in tandem with disaster recovery. If a cyberattack has hit you, you must also be ready to address any fallout with customers or suppliers. Who will notify them of the attack? How will you maintain or restore confidence in your business? Even if you are up and running after an attack, public relations considerations and reaffirming client confidence must also be an integral part of your BCS.

Q: How can a small business start building a continuity plan?

A: They should start by conducting a risk assessment to identify the most likely threats and their potential impact. Follow the assessment with a business impact analysis to understand which processes are critical for continued operation. From there, the business can develop step-by-step procedures for maintaining those operations during a crisis, including data backups, remote work strategies and communication plans.

A Case Study with a Happy Ending

The CEO of a small medical device company in Connecticut believed that companies should be prepared with contingency plans for unexpected events. She pushed her teams to meet and create contingency plans for their departments, and led the management-level project to create one unified BCS. Once the BCS was designed, the CEO spearheaded cross-company training and ran tests for the plan using hypothetical crisis scenarios. Part of the company’s BCS included detailed plans for the swift transition to a company-wide, remote-access workforce in the event of a crisis. Over time, the company adjusted the BCS, and more “what if” crisis scenarios were added to increase versatility.

When COVID-19 hit and the business world was scrambling for quick fixes to stay operational, the medical device company was prepared. In one business day, 85% of its employees had transitioned to working remotely. Within 48 hours, the company was fully functional, and its remote work environment was secure.

Q: How can small businesses ensure their continuity plan will work in an emergency?

A: To ensure effectiveness, companies should regularly test and update their continuity plans through drills, simulations or tabletop exercises. These tests reveal weaknesses and give employees practice in following procedures. Additionally, reviewing the plan annually or after any major changes—like staff turnover or technology upgrades—helps keep the strategy aligned with current needs and risks.

How Should You Develop an IT Business Continuity Plan?

Many small and midsized businesses have neither the time nor the budget for a full-time IT department. Yet preparing a thorough business continuity strategy with a supporting disaster recovery strategy is essential. IT professionals are tapped into innovative solutions that can bolster your defenses and help create the best BCS for your company. To support your plan, IT experts will help train your team to be ready to act if you ever need to launch your BCS or engage in IT disaster recovery.

IT security firms work with small and midsized businesses to establish cyber security best practices to ensure their confidential data has the best protection possible, and they are prepared for any business continuity issues or disaster recovery events that might arise. For any business, cyberattacks can have devastating consequences.

Consider utilizing an outsourced IT professional who can assess your cyber risks and work with you to ensure you have the best data protection for your business. Get in touch with us if you are in the New York City area, or contact a local cybersecurity company specializing in small and midsized businesses.