Terrorism Strikes London Train System

Terrorist acts in London have occurred twice during recent weeks. The most recent was July 21, when four small bombs went off during the lunch hour. Three were detonated in the underground train system; the other was on a city bus. The incident was eerily similar to the attack on July 7, when three bombs blasted the underground train system around 8:50 a.m., while a fourth was set off nearly an hour later on a double-decker bus.

The transportation systems were crowded with early-morning commuters during the first attack, which resulted in 56 deaths and nearly 700 injuries. The most recent incident has resulted in no reports of death and only one reported injury.

In both incidents, the city’s transportation systems were shut down and thousands of citizens were stranded. But the long-term effect of the bombings on other industries and areas is still being determined.

In the first attack, London officials have suspected four suicide bombers, though police have not directly confirmed the information. The investigation into the cause of both bombings and the motivation behind them is continuing.

In the meantime, the world is assessing London’s response and recovery from both terrorist acts. Before the second bombing occurred, the impact to the travel and tourism industry was predicted to be slight, said the World Travel & Tourism Council Crisis Committee, which convened shortly after the first bombings occurred.

To learn more about the bombings and their long-term effects, look for additional coverage in the next issue of Disaster Recovery Journal.

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Summer 2005 - Cover Article

Regulatory Compliance
Intersecting Business Continuity
with Corporate Governance

By Belinda Wilson, CBCP

Corporate governance is the system by which companies are directed and controlled. It is the way in which the corporate boards and officers set the policies and handle the affairs of corporations. Initially, the focus of corporate governance was to protect shareholders of the corporation, but with increasing emphasis being placed upon corporate governance and associated policies, current thinking defines corporate governance as a corporation’s responsibility to stakeholders (irrespective of share ownership). This fundamental shift means increased importance on external influences (e.g., new government regulations) and the need for corporations to be proactive in responding to governance variables, as opposed to the typical reactive mode in years past.
The primary driver of corporations finally beginning to give governance issues priority were corporate scandals (Enron, Adelphia, Arthur Anderson, et. al.) that shook the confidence of stakeholders and raised the ire of legislators on a global basis. The perceived and actual failure of corporate governance and internal controls and the regulatory focus on ensuring sound internal controls are established for at least the financial elements (auditing) of the organizations.
The most significant legislative trend is the reoccurrences of management accountability with significant civil and criminal penalties specified in the various regulations, should management fail to prove due diligence in protecting the corporate assets and reporting accurate information. Few at the most senior management levels will be able to claim ignorance with any hope of protection from civil or even criminal penalties.
Given all this, how does regulatory compliance affect a company’s business continuity management (BCM) program? Availability and integrity of information and continuity of services are key internal control concepts directly attributable to an effective BCM program.

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Additional Articles Found in Summer 2005 Issue of DRJ

• Regulatory Compliance
• Business Continuity Planning in the Real World
• Acronym Soup
• Earthquakes Rattle Supply Chain
• Top-5 Causes of Replication Failure
• Emotional Continuity Management
• Insurance Company Looks For Silver Lining
• Modeling Events To Affect a Recovery
• What Every CIO Should Know About DR
• Automated Notification for Business Continuity
• When You Least Expect It ...
• Addressing the Data Protection Challenges
• Reduce Costly Downtime With Continuous Backup
• BC Analysis Using Computer Simulation
• Ounce of Prevention Equals Pound of Cure
• A Team Approach To Emergency Management
• 2005 Alternate Site Survey (PDF)

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GENERALLY ACCEPTED BUSINESS CONTINUITY PRACTICES –
DRAFT DOCUMENT READY FOR REVIEW

The DRJ Editorial Advisory Board’s (EAB) Generally Accepted Business Continuity Practices Committee and DRII are pleased to announce that the first draft of the Generally Accepted Practices (GAP) document is ready for your review. Ten individual sub-committees of seasoned Business Continuity professionals from partner organizations (ARMA, DRII, FSTC and NFPA) and members from the public and private sectors, have been working diligently to create universally accepted Business Continuity guidelines that will benefit the entire Business Continuity profession. The mission of the DRJ-EAB effort is “To be recognized as a leading source of ‘sound’ Generally Accepted Practices by providing a depository of knowledge and recommendations offered by skilled business continuity practitioners.”

The DRJ/EAB Generally Accepted Business Continuity Practices Committee is eager to hear your input regarding this document. The first draft of this highly anticipated document is posted on the DRJ web site for your review at: www.drj.com/GAP/

Your input and expertise will make this document a valuable tool for all Business Continuity professionals. Please take this opportunity to make a difference.

DRJ eXpress is published by Disaster Recovery Journal. We have added this exciting publication to our family to better update our readers on current events and happenings.

In the fast-paced world of business continuity, having current information is key to staying ahead of the challenges that can occur so quickly. This monthly eZine will contain a wealth of tips, statistics and technology updates. In addition, you can find information on local continuity events, meetings and more.

Get the information you need – quickly and easily with DRJ eXpress! Staying informed is essential – and we are here to help.

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