Disaster Recovery Testing - Softcover

Philip Jan Rothstein; FBCI

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0964164809 ISBN 13: 9780964164802

Publisher: Rothstein Associates Inc., 1995

Synopsis

See ISBN #1-931332-42-8 for the 2007 printing of this business continuity/disaster recovery classic book.

About this title

About the Author

Philip Jan Rothstein, FBCI, is a Management Consultant experienced in a broad variety of strategic roles. As President of Rothstein Associates Inc. since 1985, his mission has been management of profound business risk in the face of unpredictable circumstances. His consulting emphasis is on business continuity; disaster avoidance and recovery; crisis management; continuous availability of high technology business environments; and, relocation or construction of computer centers and corporate headquarters. He has counseled organizations facing Year-2000-related threats, crises and disruptions.

He was elected Fellow by The Business Continuity Institute (BCI) in 1994 in recognition of his substantial contributions to the business continuity industry.

Among his diverse clients are multinational banks, an explosives manufacturer, a gaming casino, universities, hospitals, pharmaceuticals companies, public utilities, investment fund managers, investment banks, brokerage firms, law firms, publishers, retailers, distribution companies, health-care providers, technology developers and insurers.

Mr. Rothstein is a frequent speaker on business continuity, Y2k, disaster avoidance, disaster recovery and crisis management for top corporate management and at industry conferences. He is sought after by the media: he has been interviewed live on CNBC-TV following the Oklahoma City bombing; on KPIX-FM San Francisco after capture of the Unabomber suspect; on MarketPlace Public Radio International after Weight Watchers International's 1997 advertising debacle; and on News Channel 8 (Washington, DC) during the 1996 America Online (AOL) turmoil; as well as on-the-air interviews on numerous regional radio and television stations on Year-2000 and Euro conversion issues, including KTRH (Houston), WOL (Baltimore), WREC-AM (Memphis).

He has been interviewed by print media worldwide including: London Times; Wall Street Journal; Australian News; US News & World Report; Atlantic Monthly; TCI Cable Television; InformationWeek; Crain's Business Chicago; Crain's Business New York; Investor's Business Daily; Associated Press; The Boston Globe; The Australian; Gannett Suburban Newspapers; Software Magazine; Treasury & Risk Management; Digital Review; Miami Herald; Connecticut Post; Hartford Courant; Home Office Computing; Habitat Magazine; Journal of Accounting; MAIL Magazine; Philadelphia Courier-Times; Corporate Security Newsletter; Digital Review; Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (Georgia); Syracuse Post-Standard (NY); Kansas City Star; Providence (RI) Business News; Plastics News; Cleaning & Maintenance Management; and, Shopping Centers Today.

He has served since 1994 on the Advisory Board of Survive! The Business Continuity Group; from 1987 to 1994 on the Business Advisory Board of the Contingency Planning Exchange; and, from 1996 to 1998 on the Advisory Board for the Westchester County American Red Cross Disaster Management Program.

Mr. Rothstein has published over 125 articles, commissioned by such magazines as Datamation, Contingency Journal, InfoSecurity News, Disaster Recovery Journal, Communications News, Communications Week, Auerbach Publishers, National Computer Security Association News, Enterprise Systems Journal, Datapro Research Corporation, Survive! Magazine, Contingency Planning & Management, Information Security Magazine, Bank Automation News, Managing Office Technology,, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants' Management of an Accounting Practice Handbook, the I.B.C. International Yearbook Planning for Disaster Recovery, Westchester County Business Journal, Carolina Business and numerous newsletters.

He has written ongoing columns for Contingency Journal and for InfoSecurity News. Mr. Rothstein is Publisher of The Rothstein Catalog on Disaster Recovery

From the Back Cover

Untested contingency/recovery plans are of little value. Testing is far more than finding holes in the plan: it confirms the underlying assumptions are workable; it can also be a valuable training tool.

The classic problem with recovery testing is that it always seems to come at the end of the recovery planning process. The intention of this book si to transform recovery testing from an afterthought to a powerful, disciplined and efficient development and implementation tool; from an art to a science.

Whether continuity of business operations, computer operation, voice or data communications, trading floors or local area networks is your concern, the contributions of thirty leading experts within this book will provide an in-depth understanding of recovery testing approaches, options, tradeoffs, resources and pitfalls.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

"In December 1992, a Northeaster ripped its way through the east coast of the United States causing severe flooding and business disruption. Some companies were put out of business or significantly hampered to the extent their business could not function.

"On February 26, 1993, a bomb exploded in the World Trade Center in New York City. The result of this disaster included six people dead; over one thousand injured; 50,000 people displaced from their work locale; and 950 businesses put on the street. In addition to spending eight weeks around-the-clock and significant dollars to make the World Trade Center habitable, an additional $70 million was spent to erect an interim air conditioning plant to provide temporary cooling to the World Trade Center during the summer. Business loss was estimated at $600 million and many believe that figure to be conservative.

"Perhaps the World Trade Center disaster had an even greater impact than described above. It took away whatever innocence we had that a terrorist attack would ever befall us at home. It also reinforced in a most tragic way the need for preparedness in the event of catastrophic circumstances.

"Most disasters are not the work of terrorists but of mother nature or human error. The impacts of disasters take many forms with human and business devastation all too often the result. In business, we refer to these phenomena and the ability to recover from them as disaster recovery or contingency planning or business continuity. Regardless of label, this translates to the ability to conduct business at an alternate location when the primary business facility is no longer functional.

"Business continuity is a necessity. Testing is crucial to business continuity. This book will help you work through a variety of testing scenarios and methods to better understand the requirement for a workable contingency plan. In examining these alternative test scenarios, you will in turn be able to better plan for your own business.

"Viable business continuity plans need not be a three-inch book. They should only contain what is absolutely necessary for business resumption. First and foremost they must always address life-safety of the individual. Interviews with those who lived through Hurricane Andrew and other catastrophes have articulated two common themes: the well-being of the employee and immediate family is paramount; and, the recovery plan book is not used when it represents a symbol of an audit or regulatory requirement. It is used when its contents define what is required to recover.

"No two businesses are identical. One business' needs may be very different from those of another. This book will walk you through various test scenarios and approaches. It is designed to be a guide, to help you gain optimal results in business preparedness, to identify and quantify base needs, to facilitate response to the difficult questions of who, where, what, when, and how.

"A business continuity plan that is not tested is of little to no value. Testing and learning from the experience is the only way to perfect the plan; to ensure the business needs are addressed. Ideally, a perfect test addresses all business requirements and thoroughly involves the real users. Anything less than optimum presents levels of business risk.

"This book has been written to allow the reader to focus on a particular or multiple concerns (at the discretion of the reader); to examine and study one or a series of test scenarios. As this preface is being written the Midwest United States is trying to recover from the worst flood in its experience. The human devastation is incalculable while business losses have been estimated as high as eight billion dollars. The ability to recover in an appropriate time after a catastrophe is imperative. One difficulty has been creating a document and test mechanism that will do just that. You will discern what it takes to be prepared, to experience a catastrophe and survive without sacrifice of life-safety or going out of business."

- - - Preface to Disaster Recovery Testing: Exercising Your Contingency Plan; Alan Freedman, Formerly Vice President, Technology Strategic Planning, Bankers Trust Company

Edition details

• Publisher: Rothstein Associates Inc.
• Publication date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0964164809
• ISBN 13: 9780964164802
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 342
• Editor: Philip Jan Rothstein, FBCI