New to Resilience?

What is Resilience?

In plain English: Resilience is your organization's ability to keep operating (or recover quickly) when bad things happen.

Bad things like:

• Power outages
• Cyberattacks and ransomware
• Natural disasters (hurricanes, floods, earthquakes)
• IT system failures
• Key employee departures
• Vendor failures
• Pandemics

Most organizations think they're prepared... until something breaks. Then they realize their "plan" was just a document no one knew how to use.

The Three Core Disciplines

Business Continuity (BC)

What it is: Keeping your critical business operations running during disruptions.

Example: If your main office floods, how do your employees keep serving customers? Where do they work? How do they access systems? Who makes decisions?

Focus: People, processes, and workarounds.

IT Disaster Recovery (DR)

What it is: Getting your technology systems back online after failures.

Example: If ransomware encrypts your servers, how do you restore data? How long does it take? What's the priority order?

Focus: Servers, applications, data, and technical recovery.

Crisis Management

What it is: Leading your organization through major incidents.

Example: When something goes wrong, who's in charge? How do you communicate with employees, customers, and the media? How do you make decisions under pressure?

Focus: Leadership, communication, and coordination.

Bottom line: BC keeps your business running. DR gets your technology back. Crisis Management coordinates the response. You need all three.

Why This Matters (Even If Nothing Bad Has Happened Yet)

The Cost of Downtime

• Average cost of IT downtime: $5,600 per minute
• 60% of companies that lose critical data shut down within 6 months
• Average ransomware incident costs $4.54 million

Regulatory Requirements

Many industries require resilience programs:

• Financial services: FFIEC, GLBA, state banking regulations
• Healthcare: HIPAA contingency planning requirements
• Technology: SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001
• All industries: Contractual obligations from clients

Client Expectations

Your customers expect you to stay operational. If you can't serve them during a disruption, they'll find someone who can.

Common Myths (And the Truth)

Myth: "We have backups, so we're fine"

Reality: Backups are one piece of DR. But can you actually restore them? How long does it take? What if the backup is also compromised? Have you tested it recently?

Myth: "We're too small to need this"

Reality: Small companies are often MORE vulnerable because they don't have redundancy. Losing one key person or system can shut you down.

Myth: "We'll figure it out when something happens"

Reality: When something breaks, you don't have time to figure it out. You need to execute. That only works if you've planned and practiced.

Myth: "This is just for IT"

Reality: IT is part of it, but resilience involves every department: operations, HR, finance, facilities, legal, communications.

Myth: "We need to hire a full-time person"

Reality: Most organizations don't need full-time resilience staff. You can get expert support through consulting or BCaaS (Business Continuity as a Service).

How to Get Started (The Right Way)

Step 1: Understand Your Critical Operations

What absolutely MUST keep running for your business to survive?

• Which processes generate revenue?
• Which systems support those processes?
• Which people are essential?
• What's the maximum downtime you can tolerate?

Step 2: Identify Your Biggest Risks

What's most likely to disrupt you?

• IT system failures?
• Cyberattacks?
• Natural disasters?
• Key person dependencies?
• Vendor failures?

Step 3: Start Simple

You don't need a perfect program on day one. Start with:

• Contact lists: Who do you call when something breaks?
• Basic recovery procedures: How do you restore your most critical systems?
• Communication plan: How do you notify employees and customers?
• Alternate work location: Where do people work if the office is unavailable?

Step 4: Test It

The only way to know if your plan works is to test it. Start with a simple tabletop exercise:

• Gather your team
• Walk through a scenario ("The server room flooded. What do we do?")
• Identify gaps and fix them

Step 5: Get Help If You Need It

You don't have to do this alone. Options:

• Program Assessment: We review your current state and give you a roadmap
• BCaaS: Ongoing expert support without hiring full-time
• Project-Based: We build your program from scratch
• Free Consultation: 30-minute call to figure out what you need

What NOT to Do

Don't Buy Expensive Software First

Many organizations buy a $50K+ platform before they understand what they need. Start with the strategy, then pick tools that fit.

Don't Copy Someone Else's Plan

Every organization is different. A plan that works for a bank won't work for a manufacturer. Build something that fits YOUR reality.

Don't Make It Too Complicated

A simple plan that people can actually execute beats a perfect plan that sits on a shelf.

Don't Skip Testing

Untested plans are just expensive documentation. Test early and often.

Common Questions

How long does this take?

Depends on your size and complexity:

• Basic program: 2-3 months
• Comprehensive program: 6-12 months
• Quick assessment: 2-4 weeks

How much does it cost?

Varies widely based on scope. Options range from a few thousand dollars for an assessment to ongoing monthly retainers for BCaaS. We provide transparent pricing after understanding your needs.

Do I need certifications?

Not necessarily. Certifications like CBCP or CRMP are helpful but not required. What matters is building a program that works.

What if I don't have budget?

Start with free resources:

• Document your critical processes
• Create contact lists
• Run a simple tabletop exercise
• Read our blog for practical guidance

Next Steps

Not ready for a call? That's fine.

Check out these resources:

• Frequently Asked Questions
• How We Work
• Resilience Hub (Blog)
• Our Services