Today, remote workers are encouraged to return to the office, and the hybrid balance between office and remote is expected to continue. COVID-19 experiences demonstrate that remote working can enhance organizational continuity and resilience.
Fremont, CA: The business continuity profession is evolving from technology, disaster recovery, and resilience perspectives, emphasizing the impact of technological advancements on resilience, the integration of disaster recovery with other areas, and the growing importance of resilience in a rapidly changing global landscape. This article explores business continuity trends and offers advice on preparing for them and how organizations must evolve.
Remote Work Entering the Hybrid Phase
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 led to employees working from home or alternate offices to reduce virus transmission. Technological advances, like VPNs, have made it easier to link into corporate infrastructure for previous tasks. Today, remote workers are encouraged to return to the office, and the hybrid balance between office and remote is expected to continue. COVID-19 experiences demonstrate that remote working can enhance organizational continuity and resilience.
Impact of Climate Change
The global climate is changing, impacting business continuity. Severe weather in the western U.S. has caused flooding, mudslides, and wildfires. In order to avoid these events, it's crucial to establish alternate work venues, with remote working being a key component. Although physical relocation may be a strategy, the costs can be prohibitive. With the internet and wireless communications, weather-related events can be mitigated once people's issues are addressed.
Ransomware Defense
Ransomware prevention and mitigation are becoming board-level concerns due to the severity of attacks. With available resources, both on-site and cloud-based, it's crucial to break down existing silos between BC and cybersecurity and collaborate more to protect and recover data, ensuring a safer corporate ecosystem.
Automation
BC, initially a hands-on process evolved with the advent of cloud-based as-a-service systems. These systems have significantly automated the BC process, making it more efficient and effective. As BIAs become more complex, technology plays a significant role in enhancing the efficiency of BC activities. As a result, cloud-based business continuity-as-a-service offerings are expected to gain popularity.
Increasing Agility with New Tools
Agile business continuity systems utilize AI and machine learning to improve their response to disruptive incidents. This trend builds on an Agile technology framework and involves scenario-based testing. By analyzing historical data from hundreds of disasters, AI can identify successful strategies and develop policies based on multiple events' expertise, enhancing an organization's resilience and ability to handle various scenarios.
