Pub. 4 2014-2015 Issue 5

O V E R A C E N T U R Y : B U I L D I N G B E T T E R B A N K S - H E L P I N G C O L O R A D A N S R E A L I Z E D R E A M S March • April 2015 11 disaster. For a larger scale test, work with all employees within the scenario. My test scenario was a Jumanji-like event, due to a circus train crash. This scenario was entertaining because it was ridicu- lous. At the same time, it was a great use of the full BCP because people had to address loss of electricity, customer hysteria, and physical damage due to a stampede! Choose Challenges Disasters do not happen in a vacuum. Every calamity is trailed by other smaller calamities. Practicing for the surprises is just as important as practicing for the primary event. One of my team challenges addressed a social situation. A man said his wife had called him from this bank, but he cannot find her. He’s blaming you for not taking proper account of the people in the building when the disaster began. How should you respond? Develop a Narrative This is the part that makes the event fun. The narrative is what turns a test into an experience. Use a little storytelling to tie one event to the next. Be mindful of the phases of a disaster: Address emergency management: You must know who your decision makers are and have clearly defined plans on how to proceed in specific situations. The choices made immediately after a disaster can be the difference between life and death. Restore critical processes: Know how to proceed with critical processes. Processes don’t have to be running as normal. But they better be running at some capacity, even if that means doing so manually (DR mode). Return to normal operations: Meticulously bring things back to normal. It could take weeks or months to get back to normal operations depending on what the bank experienced. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Conduct the Simulation Once you’ve made it here, trust your instincts. Guide employ- ees through the narrative and take the appropriate time needed for discussion. Make sure they all have access to a copy of the BCP. You may want to provide simple handouts for each phase of disaster. Handouts are helpful for prompting employees to identify what they would do (actions) and what they would need to make that happen (resources). I provided a packet withmy test simulation to allow attendees to take notes. It was also helpful for keeping everyone on the same page (literally) as we moved from event to event. Review Results for Possible BCP Modifications A good BCP test will naturally provide two results: an educat- ed employee base, and amethod for identifying BCP inadequacy. Ask employees about what they perceive the BCP is missing now that they’ve used it and make those improvements! Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor. n CORE BANK PROCESSING • MANAGED SERVICES • MOBILE & INTERNET SOLUTIONS PAYMENTS PROCESSING • ELECTRONIC & PRINT DISTRIBUTION • REGULATORY COMPLIANCE TODAY I SEE THE WORLD FROM ALL NEW ANGLES. It’s time your data streams became revenue opportunities. With CSI IQ, your institution can access powerful business intelligence tools that change the way you see your customers—and your customers see you. csiweb.com/vantagepoint Leticia Saiid is a Security+ certified tandem Software Support spe- cialist for CoNetrix. tandem is a security and compliance software suite designed to help financial institutions develop and maintain their Business Continuity Plans and Information Security Programs. To learn more about how CoNetrix can help you prepare your BCP, visit our website at www.CoNetrix.com or email info@CoNetrix.com .