Online Reputation Management

Your good online reputation is a critical component of your ability to stay in business... if it's damaged beyond repair, you may not survive. If you haven't made online reputation management (ORM) a part of your business continuity plan, the articles below can help you understand ORM and figure out how to protect and/or defend your reputation.

Every user is a critic and every brand is fair game; you need to manage your reputation. (Item #1) Do you know your reputation's weakness? (Item #2) Your good reputation is your greatest asset and needs to be protected. (Item #3)

Damage to an organization's reputation is often regarded as the most important risk. (Item #4) Reputation is a major risk issue for all organizations and needs to be considered alongside all the other major risks. (Item #5) Being left in the dark when it comes to your online reputation can be compared to collecting customer comment cards at a brick and mortar store and tossing them in the trash without reading them. (Item #6)

National Preparedness Month

September is National Preparedness Month and, if you haven’t thought about it yet, there’s still time to think about what you need to do to prepare. Maybe you have a plan for your business and your home; if not, below are some articles to help you increase your readiness for a disaster – and your ability to recover from one.

Take a look at the 2012 Ready toolkit from FEMA for all you need to know to participate in National Preparedness Month. (Item #1) Here’s a quick rundown of what businesses need to think about in developing a preparedness plan. (Item #2) Think all you have to do in an emergency is call 911? Think again. (Item #3)

Do you know what documents you would need in your 72-hour supplies? (Item #4) The most critical step in being able to recover from a disaster is being prepared for one in the first place. (Item #5) Shock and denial are typical responses to traumatic events and disasters, especially shortly after the event; how do you deal with them? (Item #6) 

Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery Planning

There are so many disasters and disruptions that can happen to any business, it would be foolhardy not to have a plan to deal with them. Sure, many of them may never happen to you, but some probably will – and one of them could be your downfall. We hope this week’s articles will encourage you to get busy on your plan, or, if you have one, to make sure it’s up to date and includes everything it needs to.

Despite the close attention paid to the details of methodologies and best practices, business continuity programs are not as successful as they should be. (Item #1) This survey provides answers to questions we may not have thought of asking with regard to business continuity planning. (Item #2) In a recent survey, protection of brand out-paced other top reasons for business continuity. (Item #3)

New technologies and trends can create new challenges for IT, information security and risk management executives. (Item #4) Disaster recovery planning is a crucial component of today’s network-based organizations that determine productivity, and business continuity. (Item #5) Building a business continuity plan is an ongoing job, but mature technologies exist that meet the range of key requirements. (Item #6) 

Cyber Crime

According to security experts, the threats of cybercrime and cyber terrorism are real and need to be taken seriously. No business is exempt from these attacks, so you need to ensure you take all precautions possible. The articles below provide usable information on what to be aware of and how to protect your organization.

Today's attackers are better at sharing real-time intelligence than their targets, and fixing this should be a top priority in 2012. (Item #1) Seconds matter in cybercrime investigations, but it’s nearly impossible to contact Google, Facebook and others by phone. (Item #2) If your security isn’t up to par, you’re vulnerable to cybercriminals. (Item #3)

Whether sophisticated or low-tech attach, cyber terrorism may be a greater threat that any physical attack. (Item #4) Businesses must constantly be on the alert to outwit cyber criminals; a number of simple procedures to enhance IT protection can help to fend off attacks. (Item #5) Here’s a link to a site where you can initiate a complaint about cybercrime. (Item #6)

Workplace Violence

In addition to the chaos and physical impact of workplace violence, it takes a toll on productivity - absenteeism and impaired job performance are just the tip of the iceberg. You may not be able to prevent every incidence of workplace violence, but, with some knowledge of how and why it occurs, you should be able to see the signs and possibly prevent some incidents. This week’s articles should help with that endeavor.

Acts of workplace violence can be reduced and many costs can be avoided with forethought, strategic planning and progressive action. (Item #1) It’s the responsibility of leaders and administrators to be aware of the potential for violence and to know how to deal with it. (Item #2) To help understand the potential for employer liability, you first have to understand workplace violence and its signs. (Item #3)

What happens at home doesn’t always stay at home. (Item #4) Employers know that personal, “real life” problems affect job performance, and that job performance affects the bottom line. (Item #5) This article summarizes the findings of a workshop on workplace violence held in Washington DC. (Item #6)