Business Continuity for the White House Security Staff - Admission/Application Essay Example

Introduction It is the duty of the security personnel and staff in the White House to make sure that there is a policy in place for the continuity and back up for the operations of the country. The purpose of the policy is to have in place a secure and outlined way of how to handle attacks or disasters in Whit e House by security staff. The details of the Government plans have been kept secret due to security concerns. Therefore business continuity of the security staff in the White House means the coordinated efforts and means by systems and personnel to make sure that the functions of the government continue to exist and be performed even when there is a catastrophic emergency. The purpose of the policy for business continuity for the White House security staff is to make sure that there is plan and order in the way activities are carried in and out of the House in case of an emergency. It is a national preparedness policy which is signed by the president as a presidential policy directive. It states the procedures and processes that have to be followed in the case that the nation needs to know how to handle a certain challenge. Security staff is very important to the safety of the president and important people in the White House and therefore need to make sure that there is a policy for governing and maintaining the business continuity of the government. The scope of the policy is the security personnel’s functions in making sure that normal business functions or events are restored. The business continuity for the security staff involves different facilities and hardware that go hand in hand. They include the communication systems, the several bunkers in the White House and the special ships and aircrafts. Information or data on these are classified for security reasons and they are used to make sure that the business of the government does not stop regardless of whatever catastrophe that occurs (Daleo, 2009). The Plan and Recovery Strategy Summary In the case that there is an emergency in the White House and the business continuity is affected, a shadow government can be formed in order to deal with the crisis. The security staff will know the procedures to follow in such an event and the President is in charge of establishing and initiating this government. The security personnel or staff fall under the Emergency relocation group and they are trained to support the National Essential Functions of the White House and county in case of an emergency. Their core functions as security agents will include: Protect the constitution against foreign and domestic threats. Provide for the national welfare and safety of the needs of America. Ensure that the three separate branches of the government are functioning and operating. Bring perpetrators to justice and protect against any homeland threats. Provide and protect the leadership that is supposed to lead the county and the world. Both respond and recover from domestic and internal consequences that come from an attack. Stabilize and protect the economy of the county by making sure that the systems that have been put in place are functioning (White House Continuity of Government Plan, 2014 ). Development of a plan Having a Business Continuity Plan is vital for the continuity and operation of the White House and it includes readiness, response, recovery and prevention of emergency procedures. A strong foundation for business continuity has to be created and this is done by: Readiness – This involves assigning accountability, performing risk assessment, conducting business impact analysis, agreeing on strategic plans, developing a response team and managing the crisis. Prevention – This is done by developing mitigation strategies, complying with corporate policy and detection of emergencies. Response – This is done through communication, notifying the teams, declaring crisis, executing a plan, managing resources and recognizing the potential crisis. Recovery and resumption – This involves going back to normal operations, assessing the impacts and damages and also resuming the processes. Testing and then training – This is where the Business Continuity Plan is tested and then people are educated and trained on all the different systems and processes. Evaluation and maintenance – This is where the Business Continuity Plan maintenance schedule is developed and also the review schedule is also developed (ASIS International, 2014). COGCON Levels In the white House, there are different levels of security that require certain actions in order to be handled. They are referred to as the Continuity of Government Readiness Conditions (COGCON) and it is only the president who issues this system and the security staff follow the procedures given. They include: COGCON 0 (Classified) – This is the highest and most critical level and it involves evacuating the president from the white House and military being deployed in order to enforce law and order in the society. It is the most crucial and critical point in security. COGCON 1 – This is the level where the continuity and security staff perform the essential functions that will help in preparing for an emergency. The leadership will also be deployed. COGCON 2 – Alternate locations will be taken by 50 to 75% of the security and continuity staff. They should be able to conduct operations and be ready for a catastrophic emergency. COGCON 3 – There will be a warm up by the federal agencies for alternate capabilities and sites and this is by evaluating Information technology and communication systems. Alternate facilities should be prepared in order to receive the security and continuity staff. COGCON 4 – Normal work locations are occupied by the employees of the federal executive branch of the government. Exercises for emergency preparedness are conducted and the agencies get ready for any kind of disaster. Conclusion Security personnel are very important in the continuity and security of the operations of the White House business activities. They must know and understand the management tools of the government, the existing policies, the network diagrams, the enterprise strategic plans and the organization charts. Some of the factors that can affect the continuity of business include supplier changes, software changes, personnel changes, testing issues, environmental changes, alternations of business processes and implementation issues. All these factors must have a recovery or alternate system so that the continuity of business of the government does not stop or seize to work (Bacik, 2008). References ASIS International. (2014). Business Continuity . Retrieved June 11, 2014, from US Chamber: https://www.uschamber.com/sites/default/files/legacy/issues/defense/files/guidelinesbc.pdf Bacik, S. (2008). Building an effective information security policy architecture. America. Daleo, E. R. (2009). State Constitutions and Legislative Continuity in a 9/11 World: Surviving an Enemy Attack. America: DePaul L. Rev. White House Continuity of Government Plan. (2014 ). Retrieved June 11, 2014 , from White House: http://whitehouse.gov1.info/continuity-plan/ Read More