Fire Preparedness

September 27, 2017 - October is National Fire Prevention Month, and Fire Prevention Week this year is the week of Oct. 8. This year's theme is "Every Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out!" More than likely, fire risk and prevention are part of your business continuity plan, but, if you haven't covered everything you should, this week's articles can help you improve your plan.

The simplest tasks can become difficult in stressful crisis situations; ensure everyone in the organization knows what to do in a crisis. (Item #1)  Here are some fire safety tips to help your business prevent disaster. (Item #2)  Do you know what to do to lessen the likelihood of an office fire breaking out — and how to react if one does? (Item #3)

Fire presents a significant risk to businesses; it can kill or seriously injure employees or visitors and can damage or destroy buildings, equipment, and stock. (Item #4)  Sure you have fire extinguishers, but do your employees know how (and when) to use them safely? (Item #5)  The fire's over, the damage is done… now what? (Item #6)


For the full issue, click here.

Emergency Notification Systems (ENS)

September 20, 2017 - In any emergency, information is critical. How to deliver that information is something companies continually struggle with -- social media, the cloud, etc. One choice is an emergency notification system, which also could be used as a mass communication medium in non-emergency situations. If you have one, maybe it needs updating. If you don't, here's some information on why you might want one and how to integrate it into your organization and your business continuity planning.

The ROI of an emergency notification system begins with the belief that protecting employees and others from harm should be a priority. (Item #1)  Here's some help to sell an ENS within your organization. (Item #2)  How do you know if you need or need to upgrade a mass notification system? (Item #3)

There are multiple reasons and benefits for why you should have your own emergency notification system in place before the next disaster strikes. (Item #4)  Not every action can be pre-defined yet many can; the best way to figure out what can be automated and what needs a human touch is to assess your environment. (Item #5)  If you are confused about emergency notification systems available, this site will let you compare them against each other. (Item #6)


For the full issue, click here.

Recovering from a Data Breach or other Cyber Attack

September 13, 2017 - If your company has never had a data breach, consider yourself lucky. These days, such breaches are nearly inevitable and can cause considerable damage to your bottom line (at a cost of about $214 per compromised record and customer turnover) and your reputation. In order to survive such a breach, it's critical that you know what to do afterward. You can recover, but your best bet is to have a recovery plan and to follow it. These articles can help you determine what you should -- and shouldn't do -- after a breach.

Legal and technology experts shared their insights on how owners can best recover from a small business data breach. (Item #1)   Data breaches happen. Though not ideal, you can recover. Here's how to deal. (Item #2)   With a cyber-attack, an inevitable part of running any business, companies that do not have a policy in place for a post-attack recovery could face serious consequences. (Item #3) 

Being prepared and acting quickly are vital to helping your company recover from a cyber attack as effectively as possible. (Item #4)   This post focuses on the techniques to combat data breaches while containing the damage in extreme cases. (Item #5)   Here's what companies should avoid doing once they realize their systems have been breached. (Item #6)


For the full issue, click here.

Workplace and Domestic Terrorism

September 6, 2017 - More and more, terrorist threats come from within rather than outside our businesses or our country. Homegrown domestic terrorists have planned and perpetrated acts of violence that we need to be able to defend against. Have you planned how to detect, survive and recover from a terrorist act? No? Well, now is the time. These articles can get you started on planning or updating your current plans.

Despite the fact that preparedness diverts time and resources from other activities, there are overwhelming reasons why businesses must address this issue now. (Item #1)   The most important thing during an incident is to make sure that people are safe; your priority is the maintenance of human life, not just the continuation of the business. (Item #2)   A terror attack could certainly happen here; how are you preparing? (Item #3)

How can you check to see if you might be hiring a terrorist? (Item #4)   Read about the value of listening to and training your employees and how it could help you prevent a tragedy. (Item #5)   What should you do to protect your employees, your organization, and its stakeholders from a terrorist attack? (Item #6)


For the full issue, click here.