Who Should Participate in Business Continuity Exercises? A Guide to Engaging the Right Teams

However, one of the biggest challenges organizations face is determining who needs to be involved in these exercises. Should every employee participate, or just specific departments? How do you decide which individuals are essential for each type of exercise?

Here, we’ll break down key business continuity exercises—such as penetration testing, data recovery drills, power failure simulations, and tabletop exercises—and outline the departments and individuals who should be involved in each.

1. Penetration Testing: Strengthening Cybersecurity with the Right Team

Objective: Identify potential security weaknesses by simulating cyberattacks to assess your defenses.

Who Should Participate:

• IT and Cybersecurity Teams: These teams are essential in both conducting and understanding the results of penetration testing. They will implement the necessary changes based on vulnerabilities identified.
• Risk Management: Representatives from this department should be involved to understand the cybersecurity risks identified and to integrate them into the broader risk management framework.
• Executive Leadership: While they may not participate in the technical aspects, executives should be briefed on high-level results to understand the impact of potential vulnerabilities on the organization.

Additional Considerations:

• Legal and Compliance: To ensure the organization complies with industry regulations, these teams may need to review the penetration test's findings and recommended actions.

2. Ransomware Impact Analysis: Preparing for Data Breaches

Objective: Assess your organization’s vulnerability to ransomware and its potential operational impact.

Who Should Participate:

• IT and Data Management: The IT team, specifically those in charge of data security, should lead the exercise. They’ll play a vital role in managing backup systems and ensuring data integrity.
• Operations and Business Unit Leaders: Since ransomware affects daily operations, key department heads need to understand how a ransomware event could impact workflows.
• Finance: This team should be aware of the financial implications of a ransomware attack, including potential costs related to downtime and recovery efforts.
• Communications/Public Relations: In case of a breach, this team needs to know the protocols for communicating with clients, stakeholders, and the public.

Additional Considerations:

• HR: The HR team may need to handle internal communications and support employees during recovery, especially if the attack impacts work routines.

3. Backup Power Testing: Ensuring Operational Resilience

Objective: Test backup power systems to maintain business operations during a power outage.

Who Should Participate:

• Facilities Management: This team will handle the physical aspects of the backup power systems and ensure they function correctly.
• Operations and Production Teams: These teams must understand how a power outage affects workflows and what alternative power sources mean for their daily tasks.
• Safety Officers: Any testing involving physical systems must include safety officers to mitigate risks and ensure a safe testing environment.
• Executive Leadership: Leaders should be informed about potential interruptions to operations and associated costs for better decision-making and budget allocation.

Additional Considerations:

• Vendors/Third-Party Providers: If certain systems or processes rely on third-party services, it may be necessary to coordinate with vendors to ensure seamless power continuity.

4. Tabletop Exercises: Preparing for Physical Threats and Emergencies

Objective: Simulate a wide range of emergency scenarios, such as active shooter situations, natural disasters, or data breaches, to test response protocols.

Who Should Participate:

• Crisis Management Team: This core team should include representatives from operations, HR, legal, communications, and security. They will be responsible for managing the overall response.
• Executives and Department Heads: These leaders need to understand the impact on their teams and be prepared to support their staff.
• HR and Employee Relations: HR will play a critical role in supporting employees, handling internal communications, and arranging for any needed support or counseling.
• Security and Facilities: These teams are especially important in exercises involving physical threats like active shooter situations. They should lead the way in designing and executing the exercise.
• Local Law Enforcement or Emergency Services: For active shooter and certain emergency exercises, it’s ideal to collaborate with local authorities. They can provide insights on best practices and help refine your organization’s approach.

Additional Considerations:

• All Employees: While not everyone may need to actively participate in every tabletop exercise, all employees should be informed of protocols and aware of any role they may need to play in a real emergency.

Making the Right Call: Customizing Exercises Based on Organizational Needs

Every organization is unique, and the involvement needed may vary depending on size, industry, and specific operational risks. When planning business continuity exercises, consider the following steps to ensure you have the right teams involved:

1. Identify Critical Functions: Which teams or departments are essential for your organization’s core functions? These individuals should participate in exercises that could impact operations.
2. Engage Leadership Early: Executives can offer support, allocate resources, and encourage company-wide participation.
3. Run Pre-Exercise Briefings: This step helps everyone understand the exercise’s objective, their role, and why their participation matters.
4. Conduct Post-Exercise Reviews: After each exercise, gather feedback from participants to assess what went well and where there’s room for improvement.

Take Action

Choosing the right departments and individuals for business continuity exercises ensures that, in the face of an emergency, every part of your organization is prepared to respond quickly and effectively. By engaging relevant teams in specific exercises, you strengthen resilience, foster a culture of preparedness, and give your business the best chance to weather any disruption.

Need guidance on running effective business continuity exercises? Contact Agility Recovery today to learn how we can help you prepare for compliance and resilience with our wide range of test types for any interruption scenario.