Join us as we break down the realities of AI, discuss practical steps to future-proof your governance strategies, and have some fun along the way. You’ll hear from experts who know exactly what’s happening (and not happening) in AI regulation,…
We’ve just turned the calendar to June, and if your business is located near the Atlantic seaboard, you know that this marks the start of hurricane season. The question is, is your organization prepared? According to the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH), 75% of businesses without a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) and hurricane preparedness measures are likely to fail due to hurricane-related damage.
If your organization doesn’t have a BCP in place—or it hasn’t been reviewed or updated recently—now is the time. In this post, we’ll delve into what a BCP is, its importance, and some key steps to take to strengthen your hurricane preparedness strategy.
A BCP is a predefined set of protocols on how your business should respond in case of an emergency or natural disaster, like a hurricane. It contains contingency plans for every aspect of your organization, including HR, proprietary assets, technology, and business processes. Four key components that your BCP should focus on include:
Since disaster events can cause injury, downtime, and lost revenue, it’s crucial to prepare as much as possible in advance. Businesses that fail to recover quickly from such an event, especially small to mid-sized companies, risk losing customers to their competitors. To prevent this from happening, have a thorough BCP in place that is tried and true.
According to NOAA, hurricanes cause the most deaths and destruction compared to other storms, resulting in losses of trillions of dollars in damages since 1980. Additionally, FLASH notes that 40% of small businesses don’t reopen after a hurricane, and even large enterprises can experience significant operational disruptions and damage.
If your business footprint includes the Atlantic coast, you may be at serious risk, especially if a hurricane hits a location that houses your physical records. To build an effective BCP, it’s important to understand the following hurricane-specific threats and have recovery plans in place:
Join us as we break down the realities of AI, discuss practical steps to future-proof your governance strategies, and have some fun along the way. You’ll hear from experts who know exactly what’s happening (and not happening) in AI regulation,…
Should a hurricane hit, the outcome of your business depends on a strong BCP; or in other words, it’s your business’s lifeboat. Make sure that your plan is both practical and adaptable by following these best practices:
A BCP is a constantly evolving document that requires annual reviews to ensure the information is accurate and that any organizational changes, security threats, regulatory requirements, new processes, or other business updates are reflected in the document. As hurricanes or other emergencies occur, be sure to incorporate any lessons learned into your BCP so that response strategies can be continually improved.
If you’re starting a BCP from scratch and don’t have a plan yet, don’t sweat it. Ready.gov has got you covered with a valuable guide that’ll help you protect your employees, locations, and organization from natural disasters. And, to make things even easier, here’s a checklist that’ll help you assess your hurricane preparedness. If you can’t check off many items on the list, it may be time to update your BCP and disaster preparedness documentation.
For additional resources, expert guidance, and strategic tools to help your organization effectively prepare for, respond to, and recover from disruptions, visit the Access Business Continuity & Preparedness (BCP) Center.
Paper might beat rock, but it will never hold up in a hurricane.
Protecting your active files and planning for disaster recovery is critical during hurricane season and beyond. Digitizing your most important documents provides an added layer of protection by reducing the risk of non-compliance, damage, or loss. If you’ve been considering making your organization more digital while ensuring security and privacy in your program, Access Unify™ could be the solution.
For records that must remain in physical formats, Access’ PRISM Privacy+ storage facilities and vaults offer advanced security and fire suppression technology to ensure your records remain safe and compliant. After all, your paper records can’t be destroyed in a hurricane if they aren’t stored onsite.
Contact an Access representative to get started today to ensure your organization’s most valuable information remains safe and sound.
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