Omega Research Contingency Plan
The case study provides the contingency plan for the Omega Research. Omega Research a rapidly growing consulting and research company with head office in Reston, VA. The company has currently lost data worth of $500,000, and the contingency plan provides the data backup strategy that include offsite and onsite storage systems in order to prevent lost of data. The paper identifies the remote backup data strategy such as Cloud technology for the protection of the Omega Research critical data. Typically, the Cloud technology is increasingly popular in the contemporary IT environment and the application of the technology for the offsite storage system will assist the company to prevent critical the data loss.
2.INTRODUCTION
This document consists of contingency plan for the Omega Research information systems to protect the company from data loss that may result from man-made and natural disasters. The document is intended to serve as a repository for the tasks, information and procedure that will assist in the management of Omega Research to respond to timely disruptive operation of the company information systems. The information contained in the document should be considered sensitive and labeled as "Limited Office Use." More importantly, the Omega information system Contingency Plan is to provide an effective framework to ensure employee's safety as well as resumption of timely operations in case of natural and man-made disasters that can lead to operational losses. Example of man-made disaster include fire, terrorism, and theft. The natural disaster that include flood, earthquake, and tornado can also lead to the loss of data.
2.1 PURPOSE
The purpose of this Contingency Plan is to sustain the critical process of the Omega information systems in order to regain Omega business operations and timely data recovery.
2.2 SCOPE
The scope covers the company Oracle database systems where Omega stores a significant amount of its data. The contingency plan will also cover the Reston data center where the company servers are located.
3 CONTINGENCY PLAN OVERVIEW
3.1 OBJECTIVES
The primary objective of the Contingency Plan is to protect Omega most important assets: data and personnel. This include recovering of data by establishing off-site backup in order to restore normal operational systems.
3.2 CONTIGENCY PHASE
The contingency phase will consist of four phases: Response phase, resumption phase, recovery phase and restoration phase
3.2.1 RESPONSE PHASE
To establish and develop an immediate presence at the site of the incident.
To conduct assessment of the impact of the incidents such as extent of the damage, injuries and extent of disruption.
3.2.2. RESUMPTION PHASE
To organize and establish management plan for the resumption of operations.
To activate and mobilize support team to facilitate the resumption of operational process.
To alert vendors, employee, other external and internal stakeholders about the incidents.
3.2.3 RECOVERY PHASE
To implement necessary procedures for support and facilitate the recovery of sensitive business operations.
To coordinate Technology Recovery Teams and "Business Operations Recovery Teams."
To coordinate vendors, employee and other external and internal stakeholders about the incidents.
3.2.4 RESTORATION PHASE
To prepare procedures to facilitate the migration and relocation of business operations of Omega information systems.
To implement procedures to mobilize support, operations, support and technological relocation and migration.
4.CONTIGENCY PLAN
This section provides the strategy that the Omega will employ in achieving the backup plan, which include data backup to enhance speedy recovery of critical data for resumption of business operations.
4.1 BACKUPS
It is extremely important to use the data backup to recover critical and sensitive information. Omega Research should carry out weekly data backup by storing the overall data in remote location very far away from the business operations. A data backup is an archiving or copying of data to restore data in case of loss of data through man-made or natural disasters. To enhance speedy recovery of data, Omega should use different storage media for the backup. First, the Omega should use the magnetic tape to store large and medium volume of data. Typically, the magnetic tape is effective for the data backup because it has higher capacity in storing large volume of data. The data from the personal computer or large computer can be stored in the magnetic tape, which can consequently be used for the backup. (Swanson, Bowen, Philips, et al. 2010).
Moreover, Omega Research can use the external hard disk for the data backup. In the contemporary IT environment, the use of external hard disk is increasing popular among companies. The Omega Research can use the external hard drive that has capacity of up to 10TB because it is possible to store large volume of data in the external hard...
One of the benefits of the external hard disks is their low price. For example, the 3 TB Toshiba external hard drive costs about $169. Portability is another benefit of external hard drive because the disk can be carried everywhere. Moreover, the company will be able to connect the external hard disks through the local interfaces such as USB, FireWire, SCSI, and eSATA. Omega Research can also connect its computer to the hard disks using long distance technology such as Fiber Channel, Ethernet or iSCSI. Despite the immense benefits that Omega can derive from using the external hard disk for the backup operation, the shortcoming of the external drive is that it can be damaged when carrying from one place to the other. Thus, the paper suggests that the Omega should also use the Virtual Tape Libraries to support the external hard drive. (Swanson, Bowen, Philips, et al. 2010).
The most effective backup strategy for the contingency plan operation is to use the remote backup method because remote backup services are increasing popular in the contemporary IT (Information Technology) environment due to an increasing occurrence of data loss. The Omega Research can use the broad internet access for the remote backup. One of the benefits of the remote backup services is that it can assist the company to store its data in a remote location that will assist the company continuing its business operations in case of data loss through man-made and natural disaster. Omega can use the Google Cloud Storage as remote data backup. (Swanson, Bowen, Philips, et al. 2010).One of the advantages of Google Cloud is that data can be stored in virtual storage devices, which natural and man-made disaster will not be able to destroy. Moreover, the Google Cloud can allow Omega to store more than 10 TB of data. The shortcoming of this system is that the Omega should select a reliable service provider for the Cloud service because of the sensitive information that will be stored in the Cloud.
5. VITAL RECORDS & DOCUMENTATION
Virtual record is very important documentation that should go along with the backup, which should be stored offsite. The Virtual records are the documentation essential for the backup operations, and example of vital records include software documentation, personnel records and legal documentation. These documentation should be stored electronically in a remote location using the Cloud technology.
The vital document also consist of security documentations and these document should be stored in a remote location. Essentially, Omega Research should maintain two copies of its system securities. A copy of the document should be stored onsite to assist in an immediate accessibility. Other copy should be stored offsite in case of disasters that may lead to loss of onsite data.
Omega Research should store the following documentation offsite:
Security related procedure and Information Technology policy, circulars, memorandum, and publications.
Component and department mission statement.
Delegation letters for the company key IS (Information System) security personnel.
Complete software and hardware listings.
Internal security, and Information System audits.
Detailed IT architecture (physical, logical, network, and devices).
On floor overlay network cable routing.
System testing procedures and plans.
Approval and review of procedure and plans.
System Configuration.
Approval and review of proposed configuration
Changes made and implemented to the company system configuration.
Evaluation of changes and implemented for security implications.
Technical standards for the testing, system design, and maintenance to achieve security objectives.
Backup operations and other contingency plans for the incident response procedures.
Restoration procedures, data backup, and procedures for transportation, storage, and backup tapes handling.
Security Reports related incidents.
Critical and sensitivity determination.
Each system baseline security checklist.
Software licensing information.
6: CONCLUSION
The document discusses the contingency plan to protect the data of the Omega Research from man-made and natural disasters. The company has three small branch offices at Salem, OR, Kansas City, MO. And San Diego in California. Within the last few weeks, the Omega has incurred a significant loss of data that worth the value of $500,000. The data lost was stored electronically in the company Oracle database with the main office located in Reston. The data lost was unrecoverable because the company did not implement an effective backup strategy. The paper provides the onsite and offsite backup strategies to protect the company critical data. The onsite back up strategy include external hard disks while offsite backup include Cloud Technology.
Reference
Swanson, M. Bowen, P. Philips, D. et al. (2010).Contingency Planning Guide for Federal Information Systems. NIST Special Publication. U.S. Department of Commerce.
