Getting NetSmart - Disaster recovery, part 2

Disaster recovery, part 2

Also:

Continuing coverage of the impact on our industry

Network World, 09/27/01

As I write this, I'm also working on an article about disaster recovery tips, describing the steps that network managers have taken to guarantee that, even if their physical environment is disrupted, their networks will continue on.

It's a gruesome task, calling people and asking them what they did to survive the attacks of September 11, and how they are preparing for the possibility of others. How do you ask someone who's gone through the most tragic event they will ever endure to share networking tips? Not one of the moments a reporter is proud of.

But I'm hoping that the outcome will be useful. After all, the more we can learn from each other, the better. As for throwing arrows, well, I don't know about you, but as far as I know, unless you're the federal government, preventing against terrorism was probably not at the top of your list.

Now that it is, it's time to understand what having a strong disaster recovery policy could do for you. It's my job in this newsletter to give you training and education resources. Well, here's a list of analyst sites offering tips on creating recovery and security guidelines for your company.

Gartner Group has posted on its site an amazing group of resources, including analyst advice and free conference calls. Among these resources is a link to "After the Attacks: Plan for New Internet Security Measures."

Here are some of the tips Gartner offers companies:

Sandra Gittlen • Immediately check your Internet-exposed systems and servers for vulnerabilities and test your cyber incident response plans. Not only must your IT assets be kept safe from direct cyber attacks, but steps must also be taken to keep enterprises' own servers, and remote PCs, from being used as launching points for attacks.
• If revenue-producing or other business-critical operations depend on Internet connectivity, enterprises should begin budgeting for contractual denial-of-service protection from their ISPs or Internet data centers.
• If enterprises use computing facilities outside North America as their primary Internet connections or computing centers, they should begin preparing for backup operations at North American sites Ñ particularly if these computing facilities are located in the Middle East or elsewhere in Asia.

Forrester Research has also posted a guide for creating a comprehensive plan. Titled "Business Continuity Plans: Now More Than Ever," this brief helps you formulate a strategy.

Meta Group has listed its own advice on its Web site. Again, the thrust of the column is moving ahead with a strong plan.

Giga Information Group has listed a compilation of its resources on its site, including a report titled "Disaster Preparedness: A Critical Need".

Within this excellent group of resources, you'll find a report entitled "Getting Started with Disaster Recovery Planning." There is also advice on how to pick a business continuity manager and whether you should outsource.

Continuing coverage

Make sure you check out Network World's continuing coverage of the terrorist attacks and their impact emotionally and professionally on our industry.

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