Facility Security & Continuity

Although you have to think of people first in any disaster or disruption, it’s also important to protect our work locations -- our building, our offices. This has become more complicated in recent years as new technologies have become part of facility management and as social media has increased its influence in work locations. Read this week’s articles to learn more about protecting your facility.

A business continuity program goes through several stages during its development and implementation and all can involve the FM in some way. (Item #1) Facility Management should play a crucial role in Business Continuity - they manage the 2nd largest and most consequential business “assets” (after IT) on which day-to-day business operation rely. (Item #2)  Here’s a facility manager's guide to using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and more to make business better. (Item #3)

New equipment and systems may present the need to expand the security operations of a given facility as well. (Item #4) Breaking down a BCP into 10 key steps can help facility professionals develop a plan that will best prepare their organizations to resume normal operations as quickly as possible after disaster strikes.  (Item #5) Emergency Evacuation Planning is something quite specific and should not be mistaken for the more general subject of emergency planning. (Item #6)

Testing & Training

Will our business continuity plan work? Everyone wonders about that once the plan is established, but not everyone takes the step that would answer that question... testing & exercising. The only way to find out if it will work is to use it, and we don’t mean in the next disaster. The safe way to find out if it works is to test it. This week’s articles provide information on the value of testing and on different ways to do it.

Bring some creativity to your business continuity exercises. (Item #1) Whatever scenario you use for your testing, it should be relevant to your business. (Item #2)  There has been a sea change in business continuity and disaster recovery planning. (Item #3)

Testing your plan could be easier than you think. (Item #4) Here’s information on how to design a cost-effective yet valuable training program. (Item #5) Testing will help staff understand what the plan is and what their roles are. (Item #6)

Cyber Issues

As fast as the experts come up with ways to defeat various cyber intrusions, the hackers and other intruders come up with new cyber threats. Read this issue to catch up on what’s happening now in cyber space and see what the experts suggest to defeat these threats.

Cybersecurity remains a formidable challenge. (Item #1) Are you aware on the key cyber issues? (Item #2)  Cyberbullies have a new arsenal of tools. (Item #3) 

Read about the top cybersecurity threats of 2014.  (Item #4) Most cyber-attacks make it into the organization through the end user. (Item #5) Spear phishing is not what it sounds like. (Item #6)

Privacy

In the workplace of the 21st century, many experts believe that privacy - especially data privacy - will be one of the key issues for employers and employees. Have you covered these issues in your business continuity plan? If not, read this issue and consider whether privacy should have a more prominent role in your plan.

Read this article for the latest on key privacy issues. (Item #1) In your attempts to maintain employee privacy, be careful not to create a hostile environment. (Item #2)  Do you understand the concept of a reasonable expectation of privacy? (Item #3)

Can you use information found online to fire, suspend, etc., an employee?  (Item #4) Privacy is the hot workplace issue of the 21st century. (Item #5) Data privacy issues are prolific. (Item #6)