Disaster Due Diligence February 5, 2010
National security
HEADLINE: Intelligence officials say al-Qaeda will try to attack U.S. in next 6 months
SUMMARY: The Obama administration's top intelligence officials this week termed the likelihood of an attempted al-Qaeda attack on the United States in the next six months as “certain,’’ and also warned of the increased sophistication and frequency of cyber-attacks from Chinese hackers. "Al-Qaeda maintains its intent to attack the homeland -- preferably with a large-scale operation that would cause mass casualties, harm the U.S. economy or both," said Director of National Intelligence, Dennis C. Blair.
STORY LINK: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/02/AR2010020203975.html?hpid=topnews
ANALYSIS: The recent headline should not be of any surprise, but more of a reminder that we need to stay vigilant on terror. We also should use this as a reminder of what terrorism can do to businesses. The incident does not have to affect your operation directly. Like many companies, your business disruption can become a business disaster.
Take a moment to consider your vulnerabilities: 85 percent of the country’s infrastructure is in the private sector. You should be asking yourself, is my business continuity plan going to work? Is it up to date? Does it address the new types of threats? Was the plan ever tested? When was the last time it was read (70 percent of employees do not know what to do in an emergency)? Is anyone in my critical supply chain at high risk? What are their plans? The fact is 55 percent of companies that experience a disaster are out of business within two years.
If terrorists attacked a couple of critical interstate bridges in your area, how would that affect you and your business? What if the Los Angeles and New York City ports got shut down for a couple of months? What if we experience conditions and confusion as in Haiti from a tornado, hurricane, earthquake, or fire? Terrorists are looking to attack softer targets that can create economic disruptions and instill fear in the public.
Start 2010 with a review of your security measures and your overall business continuity plans. To do your part helping to thwart terrorism, and instill overall good business practices, consider some of the following points:
· Identify your critical vendors and ask about their business continuity plans.
· Develop a crisis communication plan in the event you have a workplace violence incident, lock down, or unexpected closing for days or weeks.
· Perform a review and look for gaps in all your plans.
· Update all calling trees and phone directories.
· Perform daily checks on critical areas and keep a record of these security inspections. Some day you might need them for court. Keep your reports accurate and detailed.
· Secure all mechanical and utility rooms that contain gas or electrical equipment. Generators make great targets because they typically have large supplies of electricity and a fuel source.
· Check accessibility to utility feeds on a regular basis. It is a good idea to take digital photographs to verify existing conditions and if need be, to compare them against something in the future.
· Increase your foot patrols and make your presence known.
Being prepared and training for terrorist activities helps you review and assess other components of your disaster plans. This planning also helps for other problems that occur with regular familiarity throughout the United States: fire, flooding, earthquakes, workplace violence, armed robberies, etc. Taking Firestorm’s Business Continuity Self-Assessment can help focus energy and your limited budget dollars.
Crisis communications
HEADLINE: Toyota hopes to fix image along with gas pedals
SUMMARY: Toyota announced a proposed repair for its sticking gas pedal problem this week, but early indications are that the company will suffer a long-term consumer confidence setback for failing to come forward sooner to admit the flaw. The automaker revealed in a filing to federal regulators that it first detected a problem with sticking pedals nearly three years ago. Industry experts say Toyota must move quickly to repair its relationship with its customers.
STORY LINK: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-toyota2-2010feb02,0,5093297.story
ANALYSIS: Who has not heard of Toyota’s problem? Answer: not many. Has Toyota helped or hurt their brand? Most would say hurt. Is there a vulnerability that your business could face that would negatively impact your reputation and brand? Are you prepared to face an aggressive, critical media? Do you know how to protect your business?
Firestorm’s Predict. Plan. Perform Process helps manage a crisis.
Predict – Who is the audience and what are their concerns?
Plan – Tailor the message, messenger, and the media format to the stakeholder.
Perform – Focus on 3 key messages.
One of the first rules in any crisis is honesty. The truth will come out. “Don’t be defined by the event.” If you lie, you lose. “If you are explaining you are losing.” Talking about why you failed to act or resolve the problem or didn’t tell the truth will not make the problem go away. It will make it worse.
Be proactive. Take action. “Invent the future.” Tell what you are doing now. Have a plan and announce what your company’s mission is and how it makes a difference.
Last, “Embrace the stakeholder.” Look at the customer, client, employee or investor. Why does it matter to them? How do you feel about them? How do you demonstrate it? Show your concern.
Let us know how we can help. If this can happen to Toyota, it can happen to you. Develop a plan and process now, not in a crisis.
Communicable illness
HEADLINE: Who is most likely to take precautions during a pandemic?
SUMMARY: A study in the British Journal of Health Psychology looked at how people behave during pandemics and identified key demographic and psychological factors that may predict protective reactions. Among the conclusions: Women and older people were more likely to heed the advice of health officials and take protective measures such as frequent hand washing, wearing a mask or following quarantine restrictions. Having a high level of trust in authorities was found to be associated with compliance with preventative, avoidant and management of illness behaviors.
STORY LINK: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100130210419.htm
HEADLINE: Report: Efforts needed to boost adult immunizations
SUMMARY: Because of low vaccination rates, 40,000 to 50,000 Americans die from preventable diseases each year and $10 billion in healthcare costs is spent unnecessarily, a report released by the Trust for America's Health indicated. Among the conclusions is that adult vaccination rates suffer because the country lacks the infrastructure to support and promote immunization, except for among children, who are required to get certain vaccines before being admitted to school.
STORY LINK: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/other/news/feb0410immunize.html
ANALYSIS: This first item offers an example of a scientific study that validates what is intuitively widely understood. Women and older people of both genders tend to pay more attention to healthcare matters than young, healthy males. The second story simply reinforces the behavior pattern described in the first. It is unfortunately normal to ignore a peril that is not obvious. As a result, some 40,000 to 50,000 Americans die from vaccine-preventable diseases each year. By comparison, 58,260 Americans were killed during the entire Vietnam War. There is a curious lack of outrage that an equivalent population to New London, CT, or Palo Alto, CA, dies annually of preventable causes, not to mention the $10 billion in unnecessary, associated healthcare costs.
The relevant point is that even as we as a nation debate the high cost of healthcare, there are simple and proven steps we can each take to reduce risk and lower those costs. The recurring theme of a “Culture of Preparedness” is more than a slogan, it is sage advice that can overcome disaster denial and can save lives, property and money when the unanticipated strikes. The solutions are there, but they are ineffective if not used.
HEADLINE: Mutated bird flu virus raises doubts about the effectiveness of flu vaccines
SUMMARY: A genetically mutated avian flu virus is believed to be behind a string of deadly outbreaks in bird populations over the past two years, an Indonesian scientist said this week, warning that it could be more lethal than its ancestor should it infect humans. Virologist Gusti Ngurah Mahardhika said the genetic mutations could be triggered by either natural causes or vaccine resistance. “The vaccine also has a masking effect whereby it only provokes immunity in the birds’ respiratory systems although the virus can still be found in the bird’s saliva. So now we can see a seemingly healthy chicken but its droppings and saliva are full of this virus,” he said.
STORY LINK: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/mutated-bird-flu-virus-raises-doubts-about-the-effectiveness-of-flu-vaccines/356376
ANALYSIS: Reports of a mutated strain of bird flu offer both insufficient information upon which to base analysis and a cautionary new item. Influenza viruses are highly adaptable, and the predominant strain not only changes annually but may modify within a single flu season. For this reason, flu vaccines are custom designed annually. The Indonesian avian vaccine is based on a seed virus dating to 2003, offering a significant time frame within which to mutate. Conversely, human vaccines are targeted to the prevalent strain at the time.
The relevance here is that influenza can and does mutate. The H1N1 and seasonal outbreaks have, to date, proven not to be catastrophic. This has resulted in current discussion in the media and elsewhere as to whether the WHO, CDC, and other public health warnings were over-reacting, or “crying wolf.” Given that less than one-quarter of Americans have been vaccinated against H1N1, the outbreak’s lack of severity is a fortunate coincidence. This again points to the individual, family and organizational decisions made to assume a largely avoidable risk.
Situational awareness is a core concept for risk avoidance: Understand what can threaten you and take appropriate preventive measures. The influenza situation has received unprecedented coverage; the facts are readily available. The options are a proven prevention and a subtle form of viral “Russian Roulette.” The choice should be obvious.
Culture of preparedness
HEADLINE: The lessons for U.S. preparedness from Haiti relief efforts
SUMMARY: Among the lessons Americans may learn from the Haiti disaster is the fact that you are your own first responder. Following a major disaster, there is likely to be an extended period in which you will need to have adequate stockpiles of food, water, medicine and basic survival tools on hand. When critical infrastructure is severely damaged, rescue efforts will be delayed, even in a wealthy country such as the United States. For proof, look no further than Hurricane Katrina.
STORY LINK: http://homelandsecuritynewswire.com/lessons-us-preparedness-haiti-relief-efforts?
ANALYSIS: The crisis in Haiti is bad. The only way it could be worse is if it happened to you, your family, or your business. Your planning and preparedness can keep a disruption from becoming a disaster. Don’t wait to figure out what to do until after the disaster strikes.
On a personal level, you must have a disaster plan at home. You can download our book, Disaster Ready People for a Disaster Ready America, for free at www.firestorm.com. It shows you, step-by-step, how to build a plan at home. You can even have the book customized for your company with your logo, foreword from the CEO, and chapter regarding your company’s plan. Having a disaster plan at home is a fundamental building block for having a business continuity plan. Family trumps work. Does every employee have a plan at home? Based upon our analysis, 95 percent don’t have a plan. Can you run your business without 95 percent of your employees?
On a business level, conduct a Business Continuity Self-Assessment. Can your business survive a disruption or crisis? There are documented best practices. Are you addressing every area? How do you know? What is your Preaction Index™? Are your critical suppliers prepared? What is their Preaction Index™?
Firestorm can help. We would prefer to work with you prior to the crisis.
Data security
HEADLINE: Security flaw puts iPhone users at risk of phishing attacks
SUMMARY: A flaw in the security protocol leaves the Apple iPhone OS 3.0 open to hackers to offer mobile configuration files that appear to be from a legitimate source, but may otherwise set your iPhone to access malicious servers.
STORY LINK: http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/02/security-flaw-puts-iphone-users-at-risk-of-phishing-attacks.ars
ANALYSIS: The iPhone allows settings configuration files to be installed over-the-air through Safari, primarily to help enterprise businesses set up a lot of iPhones as quickly as possible. The security flaw recently found allows hackers to change the iPhone’s proxy settings, redirect Internet traffic to malicious sites and even disable Safari, Mail and other iPhone apps.
If your IPhone is compromised by a hacker, the only way to fix any changes done is to do a complete reset (wipe) of the device. The problem is the setting, which allows configuration files to be installed over-the-air through Safari. Hackers can take advantage of this, as they can make their configuration file report back as “Verified” and even fool you in thinking it’s from Apple itself.
--Kevin Struck, Firestorm VP for IT/Development
Preparedness groups
Join Firestorm’s LinkedIn groups and help build a Culture of Preparedness for your family and organization:
DISASTER READY PEOPLE: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1914314&trk=myg_ugrp_ovr
WORKPLACE VIOLENCE: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1898572&trk=myg_ugrp_ovr
COMMUNICABLE ILLNESS: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1899278&trk=myg_ugrp_ovr
SWINE FLU: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1921222&trk=myg_ugrp_ovr
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