Business Continuity Plan for ABC s.r.o.

Ensuring Resilience and Continuity in Logistics Operations

Key Takeaways

Comprehensive Risk Assessment: Thorough identification and evaluation of potential risks to mitigate business disruptions effectively.
Robust Incident Response: Structured procedures and clear escalation paths to address and resolve incidents swiftly.
Effective Recovery Strategies: Timely restoration of critical services to maintain business operations and customer trust.

1. Business Impact Analysis (BIA)

1.1 Critical Business Functions

ABC s.r.o. identifies the following as critical business functions essential for its operations:

Logistics Platform Operations: Facilitates parcel sending and tracking via web applications and API connections.
Customer Support: Manages customer inquiries and resolves issues to maintain high service standards.
Financial Operations: Handles billing, invoicing, bookkeeping, and financial reporting to ensure the company's financial health.
IT Infrastructure: Maintains the availability, security, and performance of the platform and supporting systems hosted on AWS and on-premise servers.
Software Development and Deployment: Develops, tests, and deploys application features using PHP for the backend and Vue.js for the frontend.

1.2 Impacts of Disruptions

Disruptions to these critical functions can lead to significant impacts:

Financial Impact: Revenue losses due to system downtimes, missed transactions, or penalties from SLA breaches.
Reputational Impact: Erosion of customer trust and brand reputation resulting from service unavailability or data breaches.
Operational Impact: Interruptions in internal processes such as accounting, development, and customer support, leading to decreased productivity.

1.3 Maximum Tolerable Downtime (MTD)

The maximum acceptable downtime for key services to prevent critical impacts are as follows:

Core Application Availability: 1 hour
Database Integrity: 1 hour
Development Pipeline: 4 hours
Financial Services: 1 day

2. Risk Assessment

2.1 Risk Identification

A comprehensive risk assessment has identified potential threats that could disrupt ABC s.r.o.'s operations:

2.1.1 Infrastructure & Technical Risks

System and Infrastructure Failures (e.g., AWS outages, datacenter issues)
Unauthorized Access and Cyberattacks (e.g., SQL injections, DDoS attacks)
Dependency Failures (e.g., courier system downtimes)
Data Loss due to ransomware or accidental deletion
Network Connectivity Issues

2.1.2 Human Resources Risks

Key Personnel Unavailability (e.g., CTO, Team Leader)
Mass Employee Unavailability
Knowledge Gaps from Employee Turnover

2.1.3 Physical Risks

Office Facility Unavailability
Power Outages
Natural Disasters Affecting Brno Location

2.2 Risk Analysis

Each identified risk has been analyzed based on its likelihood and potential impact:

Area	Asset	Risk	Risk Owner	Causes of Risk Occurrence	Consequences	Mitigation Controls	Likelihood	Impact	Risk Value	Risk Level
IT	Platform	Unavailability	CTO	System failure, Configuration error, AWS infrastructure failure, Reduced performance, Insufficient scalability, Dependency failure (courier systems), DDoS attack	Business process disruption, Data loss, Wrong data presented to client, Financial loss	Application monitoring, Change management process, Rollback procedures, AWS SLA adherence, Separated environments (test/dev/prod), Load-balancers, Auto-scaling	Low	Medium	2 (Medium)	Low
IT	Platform	Unauthorized Access	CTO	Internet exposure, Application vulnerabilities (e.g., SQL injection), Infrastructure attacks, Ineffective controls, API attacks, Insider threats	Data leakage (commercial data), System damage, Fraud, Financial loss	Regular penetration testing, API authorization, Infrastructure monitoring and alerts, Access controls, Data encryption, VPN with MFA, Secure development practices	Low	Medium	2 (Medium)	Low
IT/Infra	Workforce	Human Error	Team Leader	Misconfiguration during deployments, Bypassing security rules	Data corruption, System downtime	Change management protocols, Code reviews with multiple approvals, Runbooks for critical systems	Medium	Medium	2 (Medium)	Medium
Physical	Office Facility	Power Outage	Facilities Manager	Electrical failures, Natural disasters	Office unavailability, Equipment damage, Interrupted operations	Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), Regular maintenance of electrical systems, Backup generators	Low	High	3 (High)	Medium

2.3 Risk Evaluation

Risks are prioritized based on their likelihood and impact to facilitate effective mitigation strategies:

Risk	Likelihood	Impact	Risk Level
Unavailability	Low	Medium	Low
Unauthorized Access	Low	Medium	Low
Human Error	Medium	Medium	Medium
Power Outage	Low	High	Medium

2.4 Risk Mitigation

Strategies to mitigate identified risks include:

Unavailability:
- Regularly test and update change management processes.
- Implement auto-scaling and load-balancing to handle traffic spikes.
- Establish a disaster recovery plan for AWS infrastructure.
- Monitor dependencies and establish fallback mechanisms for courier systems.
Unauthorized Access:
- Conduct regular penetration testing and vulnerability assessments.
- Enforce strict access controls and multi-factor authentication (MFA).
- Encrypt sensitive data both at rest and in transit.
- Provide ongoing cybersecurity training to employees.
Human Error:
- Implement change management protocols and require multiple approvals for deployments.
- Maintain detailed runbooks for handling critical systems.
- Conduct regular training sessions to minimize configuration errors.
Power Outage:
- Install Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) and backup generators.
- Conduct regular maintenance of electrical systems.
- Develop protocols for safe shutdown and restart of systems in case of outages.

3. Business Continuity Strategies

3.1 Technical Solutions

Implement multi-region AWS deployments to ensure redundancy and minimize the risk of regional outages.
Maintain regular backups with tested restore procedures to safeguard data integrity.
Set up failover mechanisms for critical services to enable rapid switching in case of failures.
Deploy automated monitoring and alerting systems to detect and respond to issues promptly.
Document all critical procedures to ensure consistent response during incidents.

3.2 Organizational Solutions

Cross-train IT personnel to ensure availability of skilled staff during emergencies.
Develop and document emergency procedures to provide clear guidance during incidents.
Establish remote work capabilities to maintain operations during office unavailability.
Arrange for alternative office locations to ensure continuity of physical workspaces.
Conduct regular security awareness training to enhance employee preparedness.

4. Incident Response Plan

4.1 Escalation Procedures

An effective incident response relies on clearly defined escalation procedures:

Level 1: Minor Incident

Handled by the IT team within 1 hour.
Examples: Minor system glitches, non-critical service interruptions.

Level 2: Major Incident

Escalated to the CTO and resolved within 4 hours.
Examples: Significant service outages, security vulnerabilities.

Level 3: Critical Incident

Escalated to the executive team and resolved within 24 hours.
Examples: Major security breaches, widespread service disruptions.

4.2 Communication Matrix

Effective communication during incidents is crucial to ensure timely resolution and stakeholder awareness:

Internal Communication

Primary Channels: Slack, Microsoft Teams
Secondary Channels: Phone calls, SMS
Emergency Channels: WhatsApp groups for urgent notifications

External Communication

Customer Notifications: Through email or platform notifications
Public Updates: Via social media channels
Key Client Communication: Direct communication for significant clients

4.3 Incident Handling Steps

Identify and Confirm Incident: Detect the issue through monitoring systems and validate its occurrence.
Assess Impact: Determine the scope and potential effects of the incident on business operations.
Notify Relevant Teams: Inform the necessary personnel and initiate the response plan.
Execute Recovery Actions: Implement predefined workflows to restore services.
Communicate Resolution: Update stakeholders and customers on the status of the incident.
Root Cause Analysis: Investigate the underlying cause and implement measures to prevent recurrence.

5. Recovery Plan

5.1 Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs)

Establishing clear RTOs and RPOs ensures that services are restored within acceptable timeframes:

Service/Asset	RTO	RPO	Recovery Actions
Primary Application (Backend/API)	1 hour	15 minutes	Switch traffic to fallback AWS region, restart ECS Fargate tasks, verify API functionality.
Frontend (Vue.js, S3/CloudFront)	1 hour	15 minutes	Validate CloudFront distribution, ensure S3 data replication is intact.
GitLab	4 hours	30 minutes	Activate AWS mirror repository, notify developers for alternative workflows.
Financial System	1 day	1 hour	Restore from encrypted cloud backups, liaise with service providers for support.

5.2 Step-by-Step Recovery Procedures

Immediate Assessment: Determine the cause and extent of the failure.
System Restoration: Use backups and failover mechanisms to restore services.
Functionality Validation: Ensure systems are operational and data integrity is maintained.
Stakeholder Communication: Inform all relevant parties about the recovery status.
Post-Recovery Analysis: Investigate the incident to identify improvements for future incidents.

6. Testing and Maintenance Plan

6.1 Testing Procedures

Quarterly Disaster Recovery Drills: Simulate various disaster scenarios to test response and recovery capabilities.
Annual Penetration Testing: Assess the security posture to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities.
Regular Failover Tests: Ensure multi-region deployments and failover mechanisms function as intended.
Tabletop Exercises: Conduct scenario-based discussions to improve coordination and response efficiency.

6.2 Maintenance Activities

Software and Security Updates: Regularly update platforms, apply security patches, and maintain system integrity.
Annual BCP Review: Update the Business Continuity Plan to reflect changes in business processes, technology, and staffing.
Feedback Incorporation: Integrate lessons learned from tests and actual incidents to enhance the BCP.
Vendor SLA Reviews: Ensure external service providers meet the required continuity and reliability standards.

7. Conclusion

Developing and maintaining a comprehensive Business Continuity Plan is essential for ABC s.r.o. to ensure resilience against disruptions. By systematically identifying and mitigating risks, establishing robust incident response procedures, and implementing effective recovery strategies, the company can safeguard its operations, preserve customer trust, and maintain financial stability. Regular testing and ongoing maintenance of the BCP will further enhance the organization's preparedness and ability to swiftly recover from unforeseen events.