general business continuity news HEADLINES - July to Dec 2005

Are we missing the point of pandemic planning?
Focusing on the impact of a pandemic on staffing and output risks failing to plan for other, even bigger threats, associated with such a crisis. By Geary W. Sikich and John M. Stagl.
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•Date: 16th Dec 2005 • Region: US/World • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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The five stages of pandemic response planning
Charlie Straker provides a practical checklist to help business continuity managers develop pandemic response plans.
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•Date: 16th Dec 2005 • Region: UK/World • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Comment: Business intelligence projects should not be offshored…
Offshoring BI projects results in the introduction of unnecessary and unjustifiable business risks, says Nakis Papadopoulos.
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•Date: 16th Dec 2005 • Region: UK • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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US Congressional Budget Office reports on the potential impacts of an influenza pandemic
‘A Potential Influenza Pandemic: Possible Macroeconomic Effects and Policy Issues’.
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•Date: 16th Dec 2005 • Region: US • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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NFPA makes agreement with Canadian Standards Association
NFPA has licensed CSA to use the NFPA 1600 standard as the basis of a new voluntary Canadian National Standard for Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs.
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•Date: 16th Dec 2005 • Region: N.America • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Fail to prepare for ‘flu threat and you risk a law-suit epidemic…
Businesses with no communicable illness policy and response plan may find themselves on legal life support for years to come, if pandemic influenza becomes a reality, according to Littler Mendelson, the US's largest employment and labor law firm.
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•Date: 15th Dec 2005 • Region: US • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Business continuity lessons from Buncefield
48 hours after a huge explosion at a UK fuel depot, firefighters were still trying to extinguish the fire. Various BC lessons can be gleaned from the incident.
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•Date: 13th Dec 2005 • Region: UK/World • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Flexible working: time to take the next step?
Flexible working will be essential if organisations are to continue to operate effectively during a pandemic. So why not leverage the business continuity investment to drive down overheads, improve the working environment and adopt flexible working as standard business practice?
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•Date: 9th Dec 2005 • Region: UK/World • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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BRMA presents 2005 Excellence in Business Continuity Planning Award
BRMA's Excellence in Business Continuity Planning Award presentation ceremony was part of the association’s annual meeting.
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•Date: 6th Dec 2005 • Region: N.America • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Businesses believe that pandemic ‘flu is a threat, but few are prepared
According to a survey by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions and The ERISA Industry Committee.
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•Date: 6th Dec 2005 • Region: N.America • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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European insurance companies ignoring business resilience investments when setting premiums
Overlooking this fundamental factor means insurers may be setting premiums incorrectly.
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•Date: 6th Dec 2005 • Region: UK / W.Europe • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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The impact of pandemic flu on business continuity planning
Pandemic influenza appears to have dropped off the news agenda in the last couple of weeks, but the threat hasn’t gone away. Dr. Jim Kennedy continues our series of articles looking at pandemic planning and warns against complacency.
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•Date: 2nd Dec 2005 •Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Survey into the impact of HIV/AIDS on South African businesses published
A survey conducted by the Bureau for Economic Research has found that the mining sector, followed by the manufacturing and transport and storage sectors, are the business areas being most affected by HIV/AIDS. Read the survey report
•Date: 2nd Dec 2005 •Region: Africa •Type: Briefing •Topic: BC general
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ACP joins with the Telework Coalition to promote telework as a business continuity response to pandemic influenza
TelCoa is urging the US Congress to pass, and President Bush to sign, three bills that eliminate barriers and provide incentives to encourage telework on all levels.
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•Date: 29th Nov 2005 • Region: US • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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When considering business insurance, don’t forget people…
A letter to the editor.
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•Date: 25th Nov 2005 • Region: UK • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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UK Met Office to hold winter briefing for emergency planners and business managers
Aims to help organisations prepare for the expected ‘harder than usual’ winter.
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•Date: 22nd Nov 2005 • Region: UK• Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Global Health Security Initiative agrees bioterror and pandemic ‘flu action plans
Members of the Global Health Security Initiative met recently in Rome to discuss the international response to deliberate actions, such as terrorism, and naturally occurring threats to global health, such as pandemic 'flu.
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•Date: 22nd Nov 2005 • Region: Various • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Continuity Central pandemic planning survey results: PART 2
Respondents to the above survey provided many useful insights into how pandemic business continuity planning is actually being done...
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•Date: 18th Nov 2005 •Region: World •Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Tamiflu investigation leaves business continuity planners confused
Some reporting in national media may have left business continuity planners concerned that there is an immediate risk that the drug will be withdrawn. This is extremely unlikely.
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•Date: 18th Nov 2005 • Region: US/World • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Business continuity guidelines for coping with a global 'flu pandemic to be developed
A project designed to address the specific issue of business continuity during a global flu pandemic is being organised by Survive, with support from Tamiflu manufacturer Roche Products Limited.
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•Date: 18th Nov 2005 • Region: UK • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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International threats to business decrease for second year running
Control Risks’ annual RiskMap report shows that despite high profile terror attacks, the general political risk environment is improving.
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•Date: 17th Nov 2005 • Region: World • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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McAlpine business continuity has knock-on performance benefits
Construction company, Alfred McAlpine, has found that a £500,000 IT investment to improve its business continuity has had knock-on benefits to application performance. Read story
•Date: 15th Nov 2005 • Region: UK • Type: Briefing •Topic: BC general
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Beyond disaster recovery: becoming a resilient business
An object-oriented framework and methodology, by Richard Cocchiara.
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•Date: 11th Nov 2005 •Region: World •Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Experian study analyzes Hurricane Katrina's effect on small business
The study showed that professional and business services firms were the hardest hit by the disaster.
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•Date: 11th Nov 2005 • Region: US • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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New avian influenza resources published by UK government
The Health Protection Agency has issued revised interim guidelines for the investigation and reporting of suspected human cases of avian influenza. These can be viewed here (PDF). In addition, the HSE has made an avian influenza factsheet available.
•Date: 10th Nov 2005 • Region: UK • Type: Briefing •Topic: BC general
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Hazard identification and Business Impact Analysis
John Salter provides a paper which leads planners through the BIA process.
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•Date: 4th Nov 2005 •Region: World •Type: Article •Topic: BC plan development
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President Bush outlines US pandemic influenza preparations and response
Details given of US National Strategy For Pandemic Influenza.
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•Date: 2nd Nov 2005 • Region: US • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Department of Homeland Security urges small and medium-sized businesses to take business continuity seriously
The US DHS is to launch another ‘Ready Business’ campaign to educate owners and managers of small to medium-sized businesses about business continuity. DHS has, in partnership with The Advertising Council, sponsored new business-specific public service announcements (PSAs). These will launch nationally during November, and will focus on the affordability and ease of business continuity planning, and the resources available to aid businesses in the process. http://ready.gov
•Date: 2nd Nov 2005 • Region: US • Type: Briefing •Topic: BC general
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New Zealand Ministry of Economic Development publishes pandemic business continuity advice
The New Zealand Ministry of Economic Development has published two documents which offer local businesses business continuity advice in relation to pandemics.
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•Date: 20th Oct 2005 • Region: New Zealand • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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A new planning paradigm: economic consequences of a pandemic
Geary W. Sikich takes a detailed look at the potential impacts of a pandemic and asks ‘business continuity planners - what are you doing?’
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•Date: 18th October 2005 •Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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How to find and motivate employees for business continuity
Given the harsh reality that the BCM function is under-staffed in most organisations how can BC managers encourage others to volunteer to get involved?
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•Date: 14th October 2005 •Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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One year on from Hurricane Ivan: what lessons have been learnt?
Torrin Stafford, a Cayman Islands based Deloitte consultant, gives his retrospective on the events of September 2004 and the subsequent challenges for business continuity.
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•Date: 14th October 2005 •Region: Caribbean •Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Climate change will result in heavier rainfall events for some regions
A study by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research explains how and where warmer oceans and atmosphere will produce more intense precipitation.
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•Date: 14th Oct 2005 • Region: Worldwide • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Business continuity during an avian 'flu pandemic
Leslie Whittet provides a very helpful overview of the measures that organisations should consider when including pandemic scenarios in business continuity plans.
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•Date: 13th October 2005 •Region: Australia/World •Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Pandemic planning is important to business continuity : but the majority of plans don’t yet take it into consideration
The interim results of Continuity Central’s current survey.
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•Date: 11th October 2005 • Region: World • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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New study looks at risk management in the supply chain
Procurement and supply chain executives expect supply outages and disruptions to increase over the next three years…
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•Date: 11th October 2005 • Region: US/World • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Business continuity: helping firms stand out from the crowd
Using the example of the legal industry, Peter Joyce explains how business continuity can help differentiate companies in crowded sectors.
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•Date: 7th October 2005 •Region: UK/World •Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Climate change conference focuses on the ‘big picture’ for businesses
Business as usual isn't an option… delegates are told.
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•Date: 7th October 2005 • Region: UK• Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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British Standard for Business Continuity Management – development is underway
Public consultation for the new standard is scheduled for first quarter 2006 with the final standard due to be published by the end of summer 2006.
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•Date: 30th September 2005 • Region: UK • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Mass fatality events have a greater impact on company share value than corporate crises
According to new study by Oxford Metrica.
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•Date: 30th September 2005 • Region: UK/World • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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DRII offers new certification level
The Disaster Recovery Institute International has launched a new business continuity certification level - the Certified Functional Continuity Professional (CFCP). This is designed for individuals with a minimum of two years of experience, who have passed the Qualifying Exam but not at the level necessary to apply for the CBCP certification, and/or who specialize in a defined, functional area such as risk analysis, data recovery or human relations.
•Date: 30th September 2005 • Region: US • Type: Briefing •Topic: BC general
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UK businesses given energy supply warning
Winter fuel shortages could force business closures says Sir Digby Jones, director-general of the CBI.
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•Date: 27th September 2005 • Region: UK • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Avian influenza: no need to panic over situation in Indonesia, says WHO
Contrary to some speculation in the regional press, current investigations in Indonesia have produced no evidence that avian influenza is reaching epidemic status in the country.
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•Date: 23rd September 2005 • Region: Asia Pacific • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Singapore Technical Reference for business continuity
New business continuity guidelines are being launched today in Singapore.
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•Date: 22nd September 2005 • Region: SE Asia • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Impact on employees is biggest long-term Katrina-related business disruption worry
According to a survey of Fortune 1000 companies.
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•Date: 22nd September 2005 • Region: US • Type: Article •Topic: BC statistics
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BCI and DRII undertaking joint business continuity Professional Practices review
Revised Professional Practices document to be published in March 2006.
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•Date: 20th September 2005 • Region: Various • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Former FEMA director James Lee Witt to lead ‘catastrophe coalition’
ProtectingNewYork.org to focus on private-public response.
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•Date: 20th September 2005 • Region: US • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Lack of awareness of the Enterprise Act undermines UK business rescue culture
According to PricewaterhouseCoopers.
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•Date: 16th September 2005 • Region: UK • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Fuel protesters gearing up
Protests have been organised by disparate regional groups, who are planning to keep their protests within the law to prevent police action. However disruption to businesses is likely across the UK.
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•Date: 13th September 2005 • Region: UK • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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London’s SMEs must develop business continuity plans NOW…
The London Chamber of Commerce has told small and medium sized businesses to urgently put BC plans in place.
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•Date: 13th September 2005 • Region: UK• Type: Article •Topic: BCgeneral
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New research offers clues to the way we can expect employees to react to different crises
When can you expect your staff to go AWOL?
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•Date: 9th September 2005 • Region: US/World • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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UK faces threat of fuel protests
Businesses need to tread a delicate balance between ensuring that they have contingency fuel supplies and avoiding 'panic buying'.
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•Date: 7th September 2005 • Region: UK• Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Fraud risk being ignored by middle market UK companies: KPMG
Sector very weak at taking proactive preventative measures - just a quarter of companies have a fraud response plan.
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•Date: 6th September 2005 • Region: UK• Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Hurricane Katrina: initial impacts on business continuity thinking
What issues does the impact of Katrina raise for the business continuity profession? David Honour reports.
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•Date: 2nd September 2005 •Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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National Preparedness Month 2005 underway
More than 190 US organisations and all 56 states and territories taking part.
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•Date: 2nd September 2005 • Region: US • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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The Center for Continuity Leadership launches two advanced level business continuity workshops
Aimed at the seasoned BC professional.
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•Date: 2nd September 2005 • Region: US • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Pan London Public Sector Group
Inaugural meeting - 29th September
Continuity Forum will launch a new business continuity networking group on the 29th September. The Pan London Public Sector Group, being run in association with the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA) and the London Resilience Team will help the London Boroughs to meet the business continuity requirements of the Civil Contingencies Act. For more details contact Russell.price@continuityforum.org
•Date: 2nd September 2005 • Region: UK • Type: Briefing •Topic: BC general
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United Nations issues avian influenza warning
Avian influenza is an international problem that needs a strong international response. UN has developed $100 million plan: so far has received funding of only $25 million.
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•Date: 1st September 2005 • Region: World • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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US National Preparedness Month 2005 to kick off with emergency preparedness fair
Will take place at Union Station, West Hall, Washington D.C.
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•Date: 31st August 2005 • Region: N.America • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Avian influenza a real and growing pandemic threat
European Union Member States to review contingency plans and step up surveillance.
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•Date: 26th August 2005 • Region: UK / W.Europe • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Managing the risks of counterfeiting in the information technology industry
A joint white paper has been published by AGMA and KPMG to highlight the risks introduced by counterfeiting and to explore the steps that can be taken to mitigate that risk.
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•Date: 26th August 2005 • Region: US/World • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Business continuity buy in...
How do we get high-level management committed to the business continuity program? Mike Bemis discusses.
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•Date: 16th August 2005 •Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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International SOS launches new services to help businesses prepare for influenza pandemic
Includes helping companies develop an organisation-specific Pandemic Preparedness Plan.
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•Date: 12th August 2005 • Region: US/World • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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PAS56 review committee set up
The Business Continuity Institute and the British Standards Institution have announced further details of the Business Continuity Management Technical Committee which will be reviewing PAS56 over the next few months. The committee will hold its first meeting on 22nd August and is to be chaired by BCI vice-chair, Chris Green.
•Date: 12th August 2005 • Region: UK • Type: Briefing •Topic: BC general
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City of London Police commissioner criticises levels of financial sector business continuity planning
A terror attack in the City of London is ‘only a matter of time’ and firms are unprepared for the consequences, James Hart tells the FT.
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•Date: 10th August 2005 • Region: UK • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Report published into information and communications aspects of the 7/7 attacks
Joint BCI and Link Associates report outlines potential changes required in business continuity plans.
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•Date: 10th August 2005 • Region: UK • Type: Article •Topic: Terrorism
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Business continuity and disaster recovery drive the UK archiving markets
BC and DR are by far the strongest factors causing UK companies to initiate archival projects.
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•Date: 9th August 2005 • Region: UK• Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Six Sigma and business continuity
Jack Freson, Certified Black Belt in Six Sigma, explains how the methodology can be helpful in business continuity management.
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•Date: 29th July 2005 •Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Do women take more business risks than men?
New study looks at whether there are differences between the sexes when it comes to taking risks.
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•Date: 29th July 2005 • Region: US• Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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DRJ and DRII publish draft of ‘Generally Accepted Business Continuity Practices’
Comments requested on new guidance for business continuity professionals.
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•Date: 28th July 2005 • Region: US/World • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Resources published for North America Regional Business Continuity Awareness Week
Aimed at helping companies make the most of the week.
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•Date: 28th July 2005 • Region: N.America • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Japanese government drafting business continuity guidelines
Kyodo has reported that the Japanese government will publish business continuity guidelines for small businesses by the end of the year. Business continuity guidelines for large enterprises will be completed in August.
•Date: 28th July 2005 • Region: Asia Pac • Type: Briefing •Topic: BC general
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IT Compliance Institute launches project to help with compliance issues
The Unified Compliance Project (UCP) aims to deconstruct the many complex IT compliance requirements into a consolidated view.
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•Date: 22nd July 2005 • Region: US • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Addressing business continuity during mergers or acquisitions
Companies that are preparing for a corporate merger or acquisition will need to address some formidable and distinctive BC challenges.
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•Date: 21st July 2005 •Region: World •Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Business continuity lessons from July 7th
David Honour explores what the business continuity profession can learn from the recent terror attacks in London.
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•Date: 15th July 2005 •Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: Terrorism / BC general
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Supply chain business continuity explored
Stanford Business School Research suggests that greater intra-organisational cooperation is key to taking risk from the supply chain.
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•Date: 12th July 2005 • Region: US/UK/World • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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London: business continuity comes into its own
One positive thing on a black day was the way that London’s companies’ and City organisations’ business continuity plans performed under a crisis situation.
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•Date: 8th July 2005 • Region: UK • Type: Article •Topic: Business continuity general
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DRI International names John Copenhaver as President and CEO
DRI International, which provides professional education and certification in business continuity, recently announced that it has named John Copenhaver, former chairman of the DRII board and an executive with Marsh, Inc. to the newly created full-time position of president and chief executive officer. Source: http://www.contingencyplanning.com
•Date: 8th July 2005 • Region: N.America • Type: Briefing •Topic: BC general
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Business Continuity Institute breaks the 2000 barrier
Business Continuity Institute membership has, for the first time, broken through the 2000 barrier with 400 members being added in the past three months alone. These new 400 members come from 28 different countries.
•Date: 8th July 2005 • Region: UK • Type: Briefing •Topic: BC general
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G8 summit blockades cause business continuity problems
Some businesses in Scotland and the wider UK have experienced logistical and supply chain difficulties as a result of widespread road closures in the area surrounding Gleneagles.
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•Date: 6th July 2005 • Region: UK • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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How to determine what are mission critical organisational activities
Garry Poole explains the concept of ‘Activity Analysis’.
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•Date: 6th July 2005 •Region: UK/World •Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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BCI announces revised Academic Syllabus for business continuity courses
In response to the growing demand from universities and business schools for guidance on the content of modules and courses on business continuity management, the Business Continuity Institute has revised its Academic Syllabus.
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•Date: 6th July 2005 • Region: UK/World • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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A risk management self assessment framework
A paper that explores business continuity and disaster planning and then offers a self assessment framework to aid the process.
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•Date: 1st July 2005 •Region: Australia/World •Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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BCI on the hunt for a ‘Technical and Development Director’
New director will complete the Business Continuity Institute’s senior management team.
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•Date: 1st July 2005 • Region: UK • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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G8 summit risks must not be ignored: Marsh
Companies based in London, Edinburgh and other major cities should review the risks of G8-related civil unrest and disruption.
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•Date: 1st July 2005 • Region: UK • Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Jan - June 2005 general business continuity news archive
2004 general business continuity news archive
2003 general business continuity news archive