BS 25999 Business continuity

BS 25999
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced its intent to adopt BS 25999 (which comes in two parts) as one of three standards for use in the Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program (PS-Prep). PS-Prep is directed by Title IX of the Implementing the Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007.

Download PS-Prep FAQs (PDF 168Kb)

Continued operations in the event of a disruption, whether due to a major disaster or a minor incident, is a fundamental requirement for any organization. BS 25999, the world’s first British standard for Business Continuity Management (BCM), has been developed to help you minimize the risk of such disruptions.

By helping to put the fundamentals of a BCM system in place, the standard is designed to keep your business going during the most challenging and unexpected circumstances – protecting your staff, preserving your reputation and providing the ability to continue to operate and trade.

BS 25999 has been developed by a broad based group of world class experts representing a cross-section of industry sectors and the government to establish the process, principles and terminology of Business Continuity Management.

It provides a basis for understanding, developing and implementing business continuity within your organization and gives you confidence in business-to-business and business-to-customer dealings. It also contains a comprehensive set of controls based on BCM best practice and covers the whole BCM lifecycle.

Who is it relevant to?

BS 25999 is suitable for any organization, large or small, from any sector. It is particularly relevant for organizations which operate in high risk environments such as finance, telecommunications, transport and the public sector, where the ability to continue operating is paramount for the organization itself and its customers and stakeholders.

The standards

Information on BSI’s two-part BS 25999 business continuity management standard:

BS 25999-1:2006 Code of practice for business continuity management
A code of practice that takes the form of guidance and recommendations.  It establishes the process, principles and terminology of BCM, providing a basis for understanding, developing and implementing business continuity within an organization and to provide confidence in business-to-business and business-to-customer dealings.

BS 25999-2:2007 Specification for business continuity management
A specification that provides requirements for establishing, implementing, operating, monitoring, reviewing, exercising, maintaining and improving a documented Business Continuity Management System (BCMS) within the context of managing an organization’s overall business risks.

Being independently certified to the BS 25999 Part 2 by BSI, an independent third-party, will be the ultimate assurance to your stakeholders that you comply with BCM best practice.

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The benefits of BS 25999, particularly when combined with independent certification from BSI, are widespread:

• Framework
  Provides a common consistent framework, based on international best practice, to manage business continuity.
• Resilience
  Proactively improves your resilience when faced with the disruption of your ability to achieve key objectives
• Reputation
  Helps protect and enhance your reputation and brand.
• Competitive advantage
  Opens new markets and helps you win new business.
• Win more contracts more cost effectively
  Provides a marketing edge and using certification can help reduce the cost of expensive tenders.
• Business improvement
  Certification requires a clear understanding of your entire organization which can identify opportunities for improvement.
• Continuous improvement
  The certification process involves regular audits which ensure that your management system is up to date.
• Compliance
  Demonstrates that applicable laws and regulations are being observed.
• Cost Savings
  Creates opportunities to reduce the cost of BCM audits and may reduce insurance premiums.
• Delivery
  Provides a rehearsed method of restoring your ability to supply critical products and services to an agreed level and timeframe following a disruption
• Management
  Delivers a proven capability for managing a disruption.

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Understanding BS 25999

A course for anyone requiring an introduction to the principles of a Business Continuity Management based on the Code of Practice, BS 25999 Part One .

BS 25999 Awareness

Provides an in-depth introduction to the Code of Practice, BS 25999 Part One, as well as guidance to aid the decision-making process regarding the implementation of a BS 25999 based management system.

Implementing BS 25999

Designed for managers and personnel responsible for, or involved in, implementing a management system (Business Continuity Management System, BCMS) based on the guidance and requirements of BS 25999.

BS 25999 Internal Auditor

Practical training on planning and executing internal audits for those with some knowledge of BS 25999.

BS 25999 Lead Auditor

An intensive course for professionals on planning, conducting and leading effective business continuity audits based on BS 25999.

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We’re an accredited body ourselves, which ensures that we look at your management system from an independent angle, and our highly trained and experienced Client Managers bring their industry knowledge to bear to help you get the most out of BS 25999.

If you’re new to BSI, don’t worry – the certification process is very simple.

1. Make contact

Get in touch and tell us what you need, so we can sort out the best services for you. We’ll then give you a proposal detailing the cost and time involved.

2. Meet your assessment team

We’ll assign you a Client Manager, who will be your main point of contact through the process – and beyond. They’ll have an excellent understanding of your business area and will support you as you move forward to the assessment and certification of your business continuity management system.

3. Consider training

Whether you’re seeking to implement a management system or would like to increase your general awareness of the standard, there are a range of workshops, seminars and training courses available. Read more about training.

4. Review and assessment

We’ll do a desktop review of your management system against BS 25999, and identify any omissions or weaknesses that need resolving before formal assessment. Once these have been addressed, we’ll conduct a full on-site assessment.

5. Certification and beyond

Once the assessment has been successfully completed, we’ll issue a certificate of registration, clearly explaining the scope of your management system. The certificate is valid for three years, and your assessor will visit you regularly to help you make sure you remain compliant, and support you in the continual improvement of your systems.

Request a quote, find out more about training courses or contact us for more details.