Contingency Planning

    You work for a small company with less than fifty employees and a very small IT budget (less than 2% of the total budget of the company). You report to the chief financial officer of the company. You have been asked to develop a business continuity plan, but you have concerns over the allotted budget and resources for contingency planning in IT. You believe that a proper business continuity plan will require additional financial resources. You want to convince your boss that a business continuity plan is a vital component of an information security proposal in any business small or large. You must also convince your boss that the current budget is insufficient for a solid business continuity plan.     In a cover letter, describe business continuity planning from a small business perspective. Discuss the potential impact of a business continuity plan on relationships between small businesses and their customer base. Discuss how your plan will require more than 2% of the total company's budget and why it is necessary and important. Include in your cover letter a request for additional funds. Develop an ideal business continuity plan for a small business that mitigates threats and minimizes risks to a company, with less emphasis on costs. Evaluate at least five of the critical elements of business continuity planning such as: Data backup and recovery Mission-critical systems Financial and operational assessments Keeping the business moving without IT Informing customers Contingency operations Alternate communications