FEATURE : BUSINESS CONTINUITY
gut feelings , is no longer an option . Ghanem added that recent events such as the pandemic and the Suez Canal blockage have exposed the weak links in current continuity plans , highlighting how crucial analysing and planning for these potential risks is in order to ensure continuity . “ When risk to the bottom line of your business can come from anywhere , the ability to leverage predictive data to predict , plan for and mitigate risk across the business is key to reducing the impact of them ,” he said . “ The vast majority of companies are likely to say that they are very well prepared , or at least , they are working very hard to mitigate risk . Planning around an expected crisis , however , is a far easier proposition than readying a business for the unknown .”
Mentz explained that in today ’ s environment , increased bandwidth and remote working capabilities have become key elements of a Business Continuity policy . These are driven by a foundation built on high-speed connectivity . “ With remote working increasingly becoming a more accepted norm , organisations must ensure that they are cognisant of the kind of access available to home-based employees ,” she said .
Stephen Gill , Academic Head , School of Mathematical and Computer Sciences , Heriot-Watt University Dubai , said if an organisation is yet to have a Business Continuity plan in place , CIOs should begin with a business impact analysis . Gill said this includes evaluating critical business areas and functions , identifying areas of vulnerabilities and contemplating potential losses if key business processes go down for a day or longer . “ CIOs should customise their Business Continuity plan based on the size , nature and complexity of their business processes . By effectively structuring your plan , setting goals and objectives , determining roles and responses , communicating constantly and continually adapting and evolving your plan over time , you can build a Business Continuity plan that is ready for possible future disruptions ,” he explained .
Cybersecurity
According Gill , as many organisations continue to operate with a dispersed workforce , lack of cybersecurity continues to be a pressing concern for CIOs and IT teams . “ Current cybersecurity challenges require CIOs to focus on designing and implementing practical strategies that ensure organisations can prepare , respond and adapt to operational setbacks , ranging from short-term interruptions to long lasting disruptions ,” he said .
Sebastiaan Rothman , Cloud Solutions Architect , Altron Karabina , said cybersecurity is emerging as critical to Business Continuity and growth in 2021 because dispersed workforces and heightened IT threats call for deliberate actions to ensure security is robust .
“ As business leaders review and consolidate many of the dramatic operational and workforce changes that were implemented in response to the health crisis , cybersecurity is coming to the fore as a major risk to Business Continuity ,” Rothman said . “ Existing threats to companies in the form of data breaches , social engineering and phishing attacks , for instance , have now been amplified with employees working from home and IT teams having significantly less oversight over user behaviour . On a global scale , the cyberthreat to Business Continuity and economic stability is so large that ‘ cybersecurity failure ’ is listed among the top five risks in the World Economic Forum ’ s
Global Risks Report 2021 .”
According to Heriot-Watt ’ s Gill , maintaining workforce efficiency and seamless customer communication are other key challenges that CIOs are currently faced with . He said for companies operating in a highly competitive business environment , CIOs need to ensure that their employees , customers and business partners are able to access the information , products and services whenever they are needed . “ This should continue as a top priority for CIOs in 2021 and beyond ,” Gill said .
Rothman added that for South African businesses , a dual pressure is also looming in the form of the Protection of Personal Information Act ( POPIA ) which came into effect in July 2020 – and carries with it major financial and reputational risks for businesses that don ’ t comply . “ Yet while this risk landscape can appear both daunting and overwhelming for businesses already under operational pressure , there are immediate , cost effective and accessible steps to take in order to become both more secure and to ensure data security compliance ,” he noted . “ Arguably , however , it must begin with an understanding that cybersecurity and information assurance are not technology problems : these are business challenges that are usually solved by implementing robust business processes ( in addition to strategic technology solutions ).
Compliance and security
Emad Fahmy , Systems Engineering Manager , Middle East , NETSCOUT , said it is now clear that moving forward , remote and hybrid work are becoming a more common alternative in the corporate world regionally . Fahmy said while the magnitude of this shift is still to be determined , the needs of remote and home-based users present a strategic challenge to IT organisations . “ These employees maintain high expectations regarding the performance of business
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