CONTACT . Jul 30, 2010

January 2010

IN THIS ISSUE:
 • In the Spotlight: Reducing Risks to People, Process & Technology in 2010, by David A. Linsky
 • Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery Planning,
by Michael Wanik, CPP, CBCP
 • Demanding Economy Causes Increase in Fraud,
by Michael Wanik, CPP, CBCP & Sara Sibley, CPA, CFE
 • Importance of Thorough Background Checks,
by Maribeth DiIulio
 • Social Networking Sites: An Investigator's Hidden Camera,
by Sara Sibley, CPA, CFE
 • National Standard for Data Protection,
by Michael Wanik, CPP, CBCP

QUICK LINKS:
 • www.sscintel.com
 • www.securessc.com

SSC - Reducing Risks to People, Process & Technology in 2010

2009 has been relegated to the history books and most businesses are happy to see it gone. It was a year of enormous economic turbulence and financial challenge for business. The necessary program cutbacks and downsizing impacted all aspects of security, risk analysis and hazard mitigation. These cutbacks range from physical and I/T security, to specific assessment of risk and mitigation associated with both natural and human causes.

Reducing Risks >

National Standard for Data Protection & Breach Notification Headed to Senate
by Michael Wanik, CPP, CBCP

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the Personal Data Privacy and Security Act of 2009 (S.1490) by a vote of 15-5 on November 5, 2009. The bill that would implement a national standard for data protection and breach notification is now headed to the full Senate for consideration. The bill was introduced by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT).

If the bill becomes law, it would require companies and government agencies to follow specific rules for protecting sensitive and personally identifiable data.

Data Breach >

Conference News

SSC is planning an Insider Threat Conference in Q2, 2010. This conference, with world class presenters, will help to raise awareness of risks that organizations face from trusted and former employees and contractors.

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Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning Is Valuable To Businesses & Governments
by Michael W. Wanik, CPP, CBCP

Large business is keenly aware that their business success relies on strategic continuity and disaster planning that is tested and proven. Since 9/11, the Asian tsunami and like events, everything is foreseeable in the eyes of a reasonable and prudent man. I’m not so sure that small businesses have that view.

Various collected statistics in the space indicate that:
 • 43% of small businesses that experience a disaster will never recover
 • 25% of the remaining companies will close within 2 years

What do businesses believe disasters are? Are they defined in their minds to be weather events or terrorist attacks? Is the extent of their plan "being closed for a snow day?"

Threats to business continuation are much broader than this. The Connecticut Lottery experienced business continuity issues after a severe act of workplace violence. Fires in Connecticut destroy sensitive vital company records and computing systems everyday. Accidental food poisoning of their staff recently affected a Connecticut utility’s ability to answer customer inquiries.

Business continuation is: the operation of the business in at least a calculated reduced capacity for a predetermined period of time. Drivers can include the loss of people, facility and information. Among other things, a reduced capacity operating strategy must take into consideration contracted or implied service levels to their business customers; as well as their expectation of inbound goods and services from their vendors to enable their operations. After all, businesses rely on other businesses in the supply chain.

A disaster recovery plan covers data, hardware and software critical for a business to restart operations after an event. While business continuity and disaster plans must be intermingled, they are separate and distinct. Government has a duty to ensure that small businesses have tested plans that are reviewed at least annually, or any time a major change to the business occurs. Without small business, communities lose tax base, employment, and goods and services.

Preparation tools are readily available for use in two key places. "Ready Business" (www.ready.gov) has a downloadable sample of an "emergency plan" that is adequate for small business. Further, The Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) has partnered with the Association of Continuity Planners (ACP), a professional non-profit organization, to also provide small businesses inventory tools for the creation of their continuity strategy (www.acp-international.org).

Those businesses needing the assistance of a professional continuity planner should contact SSC for discussion.

© 2010 SSC, Inc.

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