Moving from a reactive to a proactive approach – preventing incidents from becoming a crisis
Managing critical events in an organization is not just about the executing of action items after the events have occurred, but it should also include a risk analysis and preparedness phase – moving from a reactive to a proactive approach.
Central to this is the identification of critical organizational assets, highly sensitive components and the description of critical events that could harm the organization. By listing these elements, we establish a foundation for effective risk mitigation.
To further enhance the preparedness, a comprehensive assessment of potential vulnerabilities is essential. This proactive effort involves envisioning potential incidents and defining a catalog of corresponding action items. Part of being proactive involves deploying advanced sensors or streamlined workflows. These mechanisms monitor specific indicators that are linked to critical events. By regularly monitoring these indicators, we can identify potential problems in their early stages, allowing us to take timely action and prevent major disruptions.
In the aftermath of an incident, a post-event analysis is invaluable. This retrospective examination serves a dual purpose: it not only facilitates the identification of the root causes of incidents, but it also helps to shape future strategies for preparing for an event.
Utimaco’s Critical Event Management system, CEM, provides the Prepare feature for each critical event. This allows you to define certain activities which shall ensure the robustness and resilience of your organization – ranging from regularly checking fire alarms to reviewing the backup management to prepare for an IT incident. Furthermore, the system documents every event and generates a report, equipping you with a Post Event Analysis.
