Benchmark – Business Continuity Plan (BCP)

In the wake of uncertainty in the retail industry, a business continuity plan (BCP) is
considered a prerequisite for retailers, shielding them from potential harm in case of an
interruption or unprecedented emergencies or business disruptions. This BCP is thereby
fundamentally designed to guarantee that operations for All The C’s continue uninterrupted in
case of a system breakdown or emergency. It allows the company to effectively and efficiently
prepare for any uncertainties, lower their impacts, and ensure a quick recovery by integrating
appropriate mitigation, response, and recovery mechanisms. This BCP serves as a guide and
roadmap that articulates the specific decisions, actions, protocols, and procedures the company
must follow to avoid downtime, maintain the company’s resilience and competitive edge, sustain
customer confidence, and lessen damages due to lawsuits from regulators and disgruntled
customers, losses due to theft of funds and sensitive company and client information, and a
dented reputation that might take years to rebuild (Srivastava & Al-Hashmi, 2023; Crask, 2021).
This report proposes a robust cybersecurity program that can safeguard and protect All The
C’s business operations, including online platforms, brick-and-mortar retail stores, customer
support services, and all supply chain elements and processes. The scope and scale include
inventory management, point of scale operations, customer service, supply chain management, e-
commerce operations, and store operations. Besides guaranteeing the company’s resilience, the
proposed program is designed to comply with professional standards and regulatory
requirements, including the integrity, availability, and confidentiality of critical data and
information systems. The BCP’s core objectives include safeguarding the security and safety of
staff and customers, ensuring continuity of primary business operations, maintaining customer
services, and lowering potential financial losses and damages during interruptions.

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The report is divided into eight core areas: security program, business strategies,
implications evaluation, effective communication, integration, reporting & communication
channels, predicting trends, and BCP components. The first section proposes a comprehensive
security program aligned with the company’s needs, regulatory requirements, and compliance
standards. This security program is designed to principally foster the organization’s resilience
and posture. Section two establishes appropriate strategic actions to ensure business reliability,
availability, and sustainability. Section three evaluates the legal, social, ethical, and global
implications of the proposed information system to optimize social outcomes and justify
actions/decisions taken.
On the other hand, section four identifies, formulates, and addresses computing issues by
communicating effectively with multiple audiences. Section five integrates elementary
components of professional discourse – design materials, the writing process, and audience
analysis – into technical communication artifacts. Section six discusses potential communication
and reporting channels for external and internal stakeholders. Section seven leverages data
analysis to forecast trends in IT strategies to help the company in meeting its business objectives.
The final section identifies and explores the core components of the business continuity plan.

Section 1: Security Program

For All The C’s to guarantee compliance with all the technical requirements, it must
consider implementing the following seven measures for external and internal services and
devices, including (1) a robust network security comprising IDS/IPS and intrusion detection
systems, firewalls, and virtual private networks or VPNs, (2) endpoint security that includes
updated antivirus, endpoint detection and response measures, and data encryption on
computers/laptops/smartphones/tablets, (3) strong authentication processes, such as multi-factor

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passwords, to prevent unofficial, external access of sensitive information , (4) encryption of
stored and transit data to protect against unauthorized access, (5) regular security updates and
patches to firmware/apps/OS to mitigate vulnerabilities, (6) a SIEM to analyze and monitor
security issues in real time, and (7) and ongoing security checks for third-party service providers
and vendors to ensure adherence to industry best practices and federal/state laws and regulations.
The proposed security program for All The C’s is called “CyberGuard.” Its
objectives/goals are five-fold, including bolstering security detection and mitigation, through the
SIEM program compliance, incidence response, security awareness through training, and regular
audits. Potential metrics to assess the program’s effectiveness include compliance status, time
taken between detection and response, number of security threat incidences, and employee
knowledge of the organization’s security measures. One modification to this program is the
inclusion of regular security policy updates and reviews, ensuring compliance and alignment
with regulatory requirements and industry best practices.

Develop a security program aligned with business needs, regulations, and compliance standards to
enhance the organization’s security posture.

Section 2: Business Strategies

All The C’s must design and implement a “data access policy” stipulating stakeholders
(employees, investors, customers, regulators, third-party vendors/service providers, and
managers, the public) that can access sensitive data; the policy must define who access what and
under what conditions. The policy must also provide a guideline and procedures for
implementing the policy, responding to and reporting data breaches or security events, and
revoking and granting data access. There should be a clear guideline for the use of “technical
controls” to prevent, curb, or respond to security or data breaches when they occur. These

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technicals may include restricting access to authorized individuals, implementing multiple
security layers (network segmentation, intrusion detection systems, and firewalls), allowing
multiple-factor authentication for verifying the identity of users, encrypting data stored in
hardware/networks using stronger algorithms, and using automated tools/systems (such as
SIEM) to detect breaches, track access logs, and enforce policies.
Establishing a robust and comprehensive security program is one thing, but implementing
and ensuring it meaningfully achieves the desired “security” goals or targets is another. The latter
is often more challenging than the former. All The C’s can effectively manage its security
program by (1) establishing clear objectives and goals that align with the organization’s overall
business objectives, vision, and strategy, (2) conducting regular risk audits and assessments to
diagnose potential vulnerabilities and risks, (3) developing and implementing robust security
procedures/guidelines/policies, (4) implementing relevant security controls (technical,
administrative, and physical) based on regulatory guidelines and laws and best industry practices,
(5) ensuring continues improvement based on audit reports and feedback, (6) ensuring open
communication with all stakeholders and sending reports regularly on the current security
situation, and (7) maintaining compliance with state/federal laws/regulations and industry
standards and guidelines. Providing regular security training and awareness to staff is part of the
administrative controls.

Determine appropriate business strategies to ensure business sustainability, availability, and
reliability, and articulate these needs to relevant stakeholders.
Section 3: Evaluating Implications

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Evaluate information systems’ legal, ethical, social, and global implications to justify decisions and
optimize social outcomes.

Section 4: Communicating Effectively

Identify, formulate, and solve computing problems by communicating effectively with a range of
audiences through professional oral and written skills.
Section 5: Integration

Integrate basic elements of professional discourse, including audience analysis, the writing process,
and design elements, into technical communication artifacts.

Section 6: Reporting and Communication Channels

Establish reporting and communication channels for internal and external stakeholders.

Section 7: Predicting Trends

Demonstrate data-driven analysis to predict trends of IT strategies to meet business objectives.

Section 8: Components of the BCP

As a leading retailer, All The C’s has an all-inclusive plan to ensure business continuity
and quick disaster recovery. The business continuity plan (BCP) is designed to maintain critical
functions during and after threatening incidents. In contrast, the disaster recovery (DR) plan
focuses on responding to and recovering data and IT systems after a tragedy. Core elements of
the BCP are (1) establishing crucial business processes and functions, (2) creating alternative
communication channels and work locations, (3) making sure data recovery and backup
protocols/procedures are operational, (4) performing regular employee training and system

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testing exercises, (5) maintaining ties with suppliers and vendors, and (6) stipulating clear
responsibilities and roles for staff. The DR plan includes procedures/protocols for restoring data
and IT systems, backing up IT systems and data regularly, validating and testing recovery and
data backup procedures/protocols, partnering with service providers and IT vendors for extra
support, and ensuring contingency plans for equipment failure, power outages, and other IT-
related failures are in place.

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Include the components of the BCP.

Conclusion & Recommendations

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References

Crask, J. (2021). Business continuity management: A practical guide to organizational
resilience and ISO 22301. Kogan Page.
Srivastava, K., & Al-Hashmi, W. S. (2023). Business continuity management: Significant
insights from practice. Routledge.