Business Continuity and the Cloud

Assignment Content

1. The CEO of your company is concerned that a natural disaster could make your company's information systems unavailable long enough to significantly impact business. Currently, critical systems like file servers, e-mail services, and applications – like HR, payroll, billing, and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) – are hosted in a local data center.
   Your job is to educate the board on the benefits and risks associated with using cloud services for business continuity and disaster recovery in order to aid their decision on whether to move to a cloud-based service or continue working from a local data center.
   
   
   Prepare a 4- to 5-page Microsoft Word document discussing the use of cloud services for business continuity and disaster recovery. 
   
   
   Include the following:
   
   Cloud Services for Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery:
   
   • Define business continuity and disaster recovery in the context of the cloud services.
   • Show the importance of disaster continuity and disaster recovery to the function of the business.
   • Risk Assessment:
     
   • Identify which risks can be transferred to the cloud provider based on the functions of the business.
   • Explain new risks associated with using cloud services based on the functions of the business.
   • Cost/Benefit Analysis:
     
   • Show the costs associated with a cloud-based solution for the business.
   • Outline the benefits associated with a cloud-based solution for the business.
   • Conclusion:
     Relate the risk assessment and cost/benefit analysis to the business continuity and disaster recovery for the needs the business.