Incident Response Plan

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Continuity Strategies

The CPMT can choose from several strategies in its CP and BC planning. The determining factor is usually cost. In general, there are three types of usage strategies in which the organization has the right to the exclusive use of a facility and access is not shared with other organizations:

  • Hot site A fully configured computing facility that includes all services, communications links, and physical plant operations. Hot sites are used for BC operations. —A hot site is a fully configured computing facility that includes all services, communications links, and physical plant operations. It duplicates computing resources, peripherals, phone systems, applications, and workstations. Essentially, this duplicate facility needs only the latest data backups and the personnel to function. If the organization uses one of the data services listed in the following sections, a hot site can be fully functional within minutes. Not surprisingly, it is the most expensive alternative. Other disadvantages include the need to provide maintenance for all the systems and equipment at the hot site, as well as physical and information security. However, if the organization requires a 24/7 capability for near real-time recovery, the hot site is the optimal strategy.

  • Warm site A facility that provides many of the same services and options as a hot site, but typically without installed and configured software applications. Warm sites are used for BC operations. —A warm site provides many of the same services and options as the hot site, but typically software applications are not included or are not installed and configured. A warm site frequently includes computing equipment and peripherals with servers but not client workstations. Overall, it offers many of the advantages of a hot site at a lower cost. The disadvantage is that several hours—perhaps days—are required to make a warm site fully functional.

  • Cold site A facility that provides only rudimentary services, with no computer hardware or peripherals. Cold sites are used for BC operations. —A cold site provides only rudimentary services and facilities. No computer hardware or peripherals are provided. All communications services must be installed after the site is occupied. A cold site is an empty room with standard heating, air conditioning, and electrical service. Everything else is an added-cost option. Despite these disadvantages, a cold site may be better than nothing. Its primary advantage is its low cost. The most useful feature of this approach is that it ensures that an organization has floor space should a widespread disaster strike, but some organizations are prepared to struggle to lease new space rather than pay maintenance fees on a cold site.

Likewise, there are three strategies in which an organization can gain shared use of a facility when needed for contingency options:

  • Timeshare A continuity strategy in which an organization co-leases facilities with a business partner or sister organization. A timeshare allows the organization to have a BC option while reducing its overall costs. —A timeshare operates like one of the three sites described above but is leased in conjunction with a business partner or sister organization. It allows the organization to provide a DR/BC option while reducing its overall costs. The primary disadvantage is the possibility that more than one time-share participant will need the facility simultaneously. Other disadvantages include the need to stock the facility with the equipment and data from all organizations involved, the complexity of negotiating the timeshare with the sharing organizations, and the possibility that one or more parties might exit the agreement or sublease their options. Operating under a timeshare is much like agreeing to co-lease an apartment with a group of friends. One can only hope that the organizations remain on amicable terms, as they all could potentially gain physical access to each other’s data.

  • Service bureau A continuity strategy in which an organization contracts with a service agency to provide a BC facility for a fee. —A service bureau is a service agency that provides a service for a fee. In the case of DR/BC planning, this service is the provision of physical facilities in the event of a disaster. Such agencies also frequently provide off-site data storage for a fee. Contracts with service bureaus can specify exactly what the organization needs under what circumstances. A service agreement usually guarantees space when needed; the service bureau must acquire additional space in the event of a widespread disaster. In this sense, it resembles the rental car provision in a car insurance policy. The disadvantage is that service contracts must be renegotiated periodically and rates can change. It can also be quite expensive.

  • Mutual agreement A continuity strategy in which two organizations sign a contract to assist the other in a disaster by providing BC facilities, resources, and services until the organization in need can recover from the disaster. —A mutual agreement is a contract between two organizations in which each party agrees to assist the other in the event of a disaster. It stipulates that each organization is obligated to provide the necessary facilities, resources, and services until the receiving organization is able to recover from the disaster. This arrangement can be a lot like moving in with relatives or friends—it does not take long for an organization to wear out its welcome. Many organizations balk at the idea of having to fund (even in the short term) duplicate services and resources. Still, mutual agreements between divisions of the same parent company, between subordinate and senior organizations, or between business partners may be a cost-effective solution when both parties to the agreement have a mutual interest in the other’s continued operations and both have similar capabilities and capacities.

  • In addition to these basic strategies, there are specialized alternatives, such as a rolling mobile site A continuity strategy that involves contracting with an organization to provide specialized facilities configured in the payload area of a tractor-trailer. , configured in the payload area of a tractor/trailer, or externally stored resources, such as a rental storage area containing duplicate or older equipment. These alternatives are similar to the Prepositioning of Material Configured to Unit Sets (POM-CUS) sites of the Cold War era, in which caches of materials to be used in the event of an emergency or war were stored outside normal work areas. An organization might arrange with a prefabricated building contractor for immediate, temporary facilities (mobile offices) on site in the event of a disaster.

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