IT failure tops list of small business continuity concerns

Of all the consequences of natural disasters and terrorism, businesses worry most about IT failure. Without functioning computer and communications networks, all other planning is useless. After all, what is the point of evacuating staff to alternate sites if they can not do any work when they get there?

Many are starting to catch on, though actions speak louder than words, and in many cases cannot be heard at all. In a recent AXA survey of small businesses, 91 percent of respondents identified IT failure as a threat, with a quarter identifying it as “the most common cause of business failure.” Yet a sobering 39 percent said that their company had no business continuity plans at all. “Fear of IT failure keeps small businesses awake at night,” said Doug Barnett of AXA. “It has consistently topped our list of major worries. One thing is clear, if your IT systems fail and you aren’t prepared, this is probably the one risk most likely to put you out of business.” For small businesses, cost remains a serious roadblock.

British companies should be aware of new mandatory business continuity standards looming on the horizen. The voluntary PAS 56 standard currently in use is to be replaced by a new, two-part standard issued by the British Standards Institute (BSI). The public consultation period for BS25999 Part One: the Business Continuity Management British Standard, closes on 31 August 2006.

-read more in this Continuity Central report; read the draft standard and post your comments at the BSI Web site