lists@infostruct.net wrote:
Do you know of a standard that defines the distance between a business and
its DR site? From what I recall, the minimum distance should be 50/200
miles, not accounting for hazards.
I have already checked ISO 17799 and thought this might be an easy answer
for those of you dedicated to DR/BCP.
I am also looking for a definitive resource that lists hazards in major
U.S. cities (e.g. fault lines, hurricane zones, etc.).
Here are some resources for you:
http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/chrr/resources/
http://www.ncddc.noaa.gov/cra/coastalresources/document_view
http://archone.tamu.edu/hrrc/research/reslinks.shtml
http://www.disasternews.net/links.php
http://nationalmap.gov/
http://www.usgs.gov/
http://www.epa.gov/
I'm sure you can Google for much more. There are lots of
online maps, and plenty of GIS tools available to roll your
own.
Personally, I'm not much for "committee" solutions, in that
whatever a body of "experts" publishes, I prefer to evaluate
the data myself. For example, even 200 miles isn't going to
be enough separation for a severe winter storm, major floods,
or hurricanes.
Some common sense things:
In "tornado alley" you don't want to locate on common
"weather tracks"; meaning on a line from southwest to the
northeast, which is the common direction of travel of
severe weather. This also works for winter storms and
flooding as well.
Other major factors are power grids and internet pipelines.
My personal opinion is that the more telecommuter friendly
an organization is, the easier it is to mitigate the
effects of a disaster.
Good luck.
Mark Stingley
--
Excellence in InfoSec and Linux
http://www.altsec.info
