Assignment: Managing Risk in Information Systems
Lab: Performing a Business Impact Analysis for a Mock IT Infrastructure.
Introduction
The purpose of a business impact analysis (BIA) is to identify applications and data access requirements in an IT infrastructure. The BIA helps you assess affected IT systems, applications, and resources and align them with their required recovery time objectives (RTOs). It then helps you prioritize the identified mission-critical business functions so you know how IT systems, applications, and resources are impacted.
In this lab, you will define a BIA's goal and objective, you will identify where the BIA fits in the business continuity plan (BCP), you will identify mission-critical applications and data access requirements, you will perform a BIA qualitative assessment approach, and you will create a BIA executive summary report for management.
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this lab, you will be able to:
Define the goal and objective of a business impact analysis (BIA).
Identify where a business impact analysis (BIA) fits within a business continuity plan (BCP). Identify mission-critical applications and access to data requirements for a given scenario.
Perform a business impact analysis (BIA) utilizing a qualitative assessment approach. Create a business impact analysis executive summary report for management.
Hands-On Steps
3. On your local computer, open a new Internet browser window.
4. Using your favorite search engine, search for information on a business impact analysis (BIA).
5. Define BIA.
6. Using your favorite search engine, search for information on a business continuity plan (BCP).
7. Define BCP and explain how a BIA fits within a BCP.
8. Review the business functions in the following table:
Business Functions
Internal and external voice communication with customers in real time
Internal and external e-mail communication with customers via store and forward messaging
Domain Name Server (DNS) for internal and external Internet Protocol (IP) communications
Internet connectivity for e-mail and store and forward customer service
Self-service Web site for customer access to information and personal account information
e-Commerce site for online customer purchases or scheduling 24 x 7 x 365
Payroll and human resources for employees
Real-time customer service via Web site, e-mail, or telephone requires customer relationship management (CRM)
Network management and technical support
Marketing and events
Sales orders or customer/student registration
Remote branch office sales-order entry to headquarters
Voice and e-mail communications to remote branches
Accounting and finance support: Accounts payable, Accounts receivable, etc.
9. List a qualitative business impact value of Critical, Major, Minor, or None for each function.
10. List the IT systems, applications, and resources that are impacted for each of the functions.
11. In the address box of your Internet browser, type the URL https://searchdisasterrecovery.techtarget.com/feature/Using-a-business-impact-analysis-BIA- template-A-free-BIA-template-and-guide/ and press Enter to open the Web site.
12. Read the article titled "Using a business impact analysis (BIA) template" for guidance on writing a business impact analysis. Consult the article for the meaning of the terms recovery time objective (RTO) and recovery point objective (RPO).
13. In your Lab Report file, assess the recovery time objectives (RTO) for each of the impacted IT systems, applications, and resources.
14. Write a four-paragraph executive summary that includes the following:
• Goals and purpose of the BIA (unique to your scenario)
• Summary of findings (business functions and assessment)
• Prioritizations (critical, major, and minor classifications)
• IT systems and applications impacted (to support the defined recovery time objectives)
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.