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CISSP Business Continuity And Disaster Recovery

Subjects : certifications, it-skills, cissp

Instructions:

Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
Match each statement with the correct term.
Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.

1. Cold Site
A leased or rented facility that supplies the basic environment - electrical wiring - air conditioning - plumbing and flooring - but none of the equipment or additional services. It may take weeks to get the site activated and ready for work. This is
At the intersection of the cost of disruption and the cost to recover
Copies of the BCP are distributed to the different departments and functional areas for review
A leased or rented facility that usually partially configured with some equipment (peripheral devices) - but not the actual computers... it's usually a hot site without the expensive equipment. This is the most widely-used model... it is less expensi

2. Reciprocal Agreement (Mutual Aid)
Representatives from each department or functional area come together to over the plan to ensure its accuracy
Company A agrees to allow company B to use its facilities if company B is hit by a disaster - and vice versa. This is a cheaper way to go than the other offsite choices - but is not always the best choice because most environments are maxed out perta
Responsible for getting the alternate site into a working and functioning environment. Needs to know how to install OSes - configure workstations and servers - string wiring and cabling - set up the network and configure networking services - and ins
Focuses on how to re-create the necessary business processes that need to be reestablished instead of focusing on IT components

3. As a general rule of thumb - how far away should a backup facility be from the main facility?
Required roles - Required resources - Input and output mechanisms - Workflow steps - Required time for completion - How they interface with other processes
It should be far enough away from the original site so one disaster does not take out both locations... alternate facilities should be at a bare minimum at least five miles away from the primary site - while 15 miles is recommended for most low-to-me
Fortification of the facility in its construction materials - redundant servers and communications links - power lines coming in through different transformers - redundant vendor support - purchasing of insurance - purchasing of UPS and generators -
The client pays a monthly fee to retain the right to use the facility in a time of need and then incurs a large activation fee when the facility actually has to be used... most recovery site contracts do not promise to house the company in need at a

4. What is the goal of Disaster Recovery?
Typically a copy is stored at the BCP coordinator's home - and another copy is stored at the offsite facility... when they are stored offsite - they need to be stored in a way that provides just as much protection as the primary site would provide
Nondisaster: a disruption in service due to a device malfunction or failure - Disaster: an event that causes the entire facility to be unusable for a day or longer - Catastrophe: a major disruption that destroys the facility altogether --> requires b
To minimize the effects of a disaster and to take the necessary steps to ensure that the resources - personnel - and business processes are able to resume operation in a timely manner. A disaster recovery plan is carried out when everything is still
When it detects danger to human life - When it detects danger to state or national security - When it detects damage to the facility - When it detects damage to critical systems

5. What are the three main types of leased or rented offsite facilities?
Hot Site - Warm Site - Colde Site
Plan for systems - networks - and major applications recovery procedures after disruptions. a contingency plan should be developed for each major system and application
The least critical functions... it ensures that the critical operations of the company are not negatively affected
The most intrusive test to regular operations and business productivity. the original site is shut down - and processing takes place at the alternate site. this test takes a lot of planning and coordination but it can reveal many holes in the plan. f

6. Damage Assessment Team
Determines the cause of the disaster - Determines the potential for further damage - Identifies the affected business functions and areas - Identifies the level of functionality for the critical resources - Identifies the resources that must be repla
All data are backed up and saved to some type of storage media. backup and restoration processes are very simplistic and straightforward with this method
Establishes senior management and a headquarters after a disaster. outlines roles and authorities - orders of succession - and individual role tasks
Responsible for getting the alternate site into a working and functioning environment. Needs to know how to install OSes - configure workstations and servers - string wiring and cabling - set up the network and configure networking services - and ins

7. What are some of the resources that would be required for individual business processes?
Base it off of the probability of the threat becoming real and the loss potential. the goal is to make sure the insurance coverage fills in the gap of what the current preventative countermeasures cannot protect against
Computer systems - Personnel - Procedures - Tasks - Supplies - Vendor support
Plan for systems - networks - and major applications recovery procedures after disruptions. a contingency plan should be developed for each major system and application
Provides methods and procedures for dealing with longer-term outages and disaster.

8. Checklist Test (Deckcheck Test)
Done to ensure that the specific systems can actually perform adequately at the alternate offsite facility. some systems are moved to the alternate site and processing takes place. the results are compared with the regular processing that is done at
Maximum tolerable downtime - Operational disruption and productivity - Financial considerations - Regulatory responsibilities - Reputation
Copies of the BCP are distributed to the different departments and functional areas for review
Computer systems - Personnel - Procedures - Tasks - Supplies - Vendor support

9. What are some of the things you have to consider when it comes to supply and tech recovery?
They should make sure there are at least two copies of the company's operating system and critical applications
Identifying regulatory and legal requirements that must be met - Identifying all possible vulnerabilities and threats - Estimating the possibilities of these threats and the loss potential - Performing a BIA - Outlining which departments - systems -
Network and computer equipment - Voice and data communications resources - Human Resources - Transportation of equipment and personnel - Environment issues (HVAC) - Data and personnel security issues - Supplies (paper - forms - cabling - and so on) -
It requires less resources and time

10. What are the three main types of threats?
It has to figure out what the company needs to do to actually recover the items it has identified as being so important to the organization overall... the BIA provides the footprint
Committing fully to the BCP - Setting policy and goals - Making available the necessary funds and resources - Taking responsibility for the outcome of the development of the BCP - Appointing a team for the process
They should make sure there are at least two copies of the company's operating system and critical applications
Manmade: arsonist - terrorist - a simple mistake - Natural: tornadoes - floods - hurricanes - or earthquakes - Technical: data corruption - loss of power - device failure - or loss of a data communications line

11. Redundant Site
One site is equipped and configured exactly like the primary site - which serves as a redundant environment. these sites are owned by the company and are mirrors of the original production environment... this is one of the most expensive backup facil
Define essential business functions and supporting departments - Identify interdependencies between these functions and departments - Discover all possible disruptions that could affect the mechanisms necessary to allow these departments to function
Identifying regulatory and legal requirements that must be met - Identifying all possible vulnerabilities and threats - Estimating the possibilities of these threats and the loss potential - Performing a BIA - Outlining which departments - systems -
They should make sure there are at least two copies of the company's operating system and critical applications

12. Crisis Communications Plan
Backing up business data to tapes that are then manually transferred to an offsite facility by a courier or an employee... with automatic tape vaulting - the data are sent over a serial line to a backup tape system at the offsite facility. Electronic
There is more risk for the organization because replacement systems won't be available... that's why many organizations have moved to commercial off the shelf (COTS) products. they want to make sure replacement is possible
When it is time for the company to move back into its original site or a new site
Includes internal and external communications structure and roles. identifies specific individuals who will communicate with external entities. contains predeveloped statements that are to be released

13. Why do you need a combination of consultants and employees on the BCP team?
Contact the local authorities
Consultants are experts in the field and know the necessary steps - questions to ask - and issues to look for - and they can also offer general reasonable advice. In-house employees know their company intimately and have a full understanding of how c
A new type of coverage that insures losses caused by denial-of-service attacks - malware damages - hackers - electronic theft - privacy-related lawsuits and more
A type of policy in which the insurance company will pay for specified expenses and lost earnings in the event that a company is forced out of business for a certain length of time. another policy can be bought that insures accounts receivable - so i

14. What is the main goal of business continuity?
To resume business as quickly as possible - spending the least amount of money
Manmade: arsonist - terrorist - a simple mistake - Natural: tornadoes - floods - hurricanes - or earthquakes - Technical: data corruption - loss of power - device failure - or loss of a data communications line
Since the software vendor provides its customers with only the compiled version of its applications - it's difficult for the customer to continue to use it if the vendor goes out of business. So the customer should set up a Software Escrow agreement
No - but the team may recognize that the company is at risk because it does not have these procedures in place

15. What is the general structure of a BCP?
1. Initiation Phase: goal statements - overview of concepts - roles and teams definitions - task definitions 2. Activation Phase: notification steps - damage assessment - plan activation 3. Recovery Phase: move to alternate site - restore processes -
Annually
Focuses on how to re-create the necessary business processes that need to be reestablished instead of focusing on IT components
The employees who carry out the most critical functions of the company who must be put back to work first

16. Business Resumption Plan
Present it to management for written approval
Object code - source code - libraries - patches and fixes
Focuses on how to re-create the necessary business processes that need to be reestablished instead of focusing on IT components
1. Select individuals to interview for data gathering 2. Create data-gathering techniques (surveys - questionnaires - qualitative and quantitative approaches) 3. Identify the company's critical business functions 4. Identify the resources these funct

17. Business Interruption Insurance
Manmade: arsonist - terrorist - a simple mistake - Natural: tornadoes - floods - hurricanes - or earthquakes - Technical: data corruption - loss of power - device failure - or loss of a data communications line
A type of policy in which the insurance company will pay for specified expenses and lost earnings in the event that a company is forced out of business for a certain length of time. another policy can be bought that insures accounts receivable - so i
Plan for systems - networks - and major applications recovery procedures after disruptions. a contingency plan should be developed for each major system and application
One site is equipped and configured exactly like the primary site - which serves as a redundant environment. these sites are owned by the company and are mirrors of the original production environment... this is one of the most expensive backup facil

18. Continuity Planning Policy Statement
Management support
A method of transmitting data offsite - but it usually only includes moving the journal or transaction logs to the offsite facility - not the actual files. these logs contain the changes that have taken place to the individual files. Journaling is ef
An estimate of how long it will take to fix a piece of equipment and get it back into production
A document that lays out the scope of the BCP project - the team member roles - and the goals of the project. it outlines what needs to be accomplished after the team communicates with management and comes to agreement on the terms of the project

19. Full Backup
When it is time for the company to move back into its original site or a new site
Plan for systems - networks - and major applications recovery procedures after disruptions. a contingency plan should be developed for each major system and application
Determines the cause of the disaster - Determines the potential for further damage - Identifies the affected business functions and areas - Identifies the level of functionality for the critical resources - Identifies the resources that must be repla
All data are backed up and saved to some type of storage media. backup and restoration processes are very simplistic and straightforward with this method

20. What are management's responsibilities with regards to BCP planning?
Committing fully to the BCP - Setting policy and goals - Making available the necessary funds and resources - Taking responsibility for the outcome of the development of the BCP - Appointing a team for the process
A leased or rented facility that usually partially configured with some equipment (peripheral devices) - but not the actual computers... it's usually a hot site without the expensive equipment. This is the most widely-used model... it is less expensi
It's used when threats are identified that cannot be prevented. Taking on the full risk of these threats is often dangerous
Use scenario-based exercises as a group to see what issues might crop up

21. Simulation Test
A type of facility-backup option where the back of a large truck or a trailer is turned into a data processing or working area (typically used by military organizations and large insurance companies)
Management support
The employees who carry out the most critical functions of the company who must be put back to work first
All employees who participate in operational and support functions - or their representatives - come together to practice executing the disaster recovery plan based on a specific scenario. the scenario is used to test the reaction of each operational

22. What are some reasons why BCPs become outdated?

23. When should a company be prepared to interface with the press - customers - shareholders - and civic officials after a crisis?
Before too many people come to their own conclusions about the company and begin to start false rumors
The business continuity process isn't integrated into the change management process - infrastructure and environment changes occur - reorganization of the company - layoffs - or mergers occur - changes in hardware - software - and applications occur
A method of transmitting data offsite - but it usually only includes moving the journal or transaction logs to the offsite facility - not the actual files. these logs contain the changes that have taken place to the individual files. Journaling is ef
Fortification of the facility in its construction materials - redundant servers and communications links - power lines coming in through different transformers - redundant vendor support - purchasing of insurance - purchasing of UPS and generators -

24. How should a team break down recovery strategies?
Company A agrees to allow company B to use its facilities if company B is hit by a disaster - and vice versa. This is a cheaper way to go than the other offsite choices - but is not always the best choice because most environments are maxed out perta
Done to ensure that the specific systems can actually perform adequately at the alternate offsite facility. some systems are moved to the alternate site and processing takes place. the results are compared with the regular processing that is done at
1. Initiation Phase: goal statements - overview of concepts - roles and teams definitions - task definitions 2. Activation Phase: notification steps - damage assessment - plan activation 3. Recovery Phase: move to alternate site - restore processes -
Business process recovery - Facility recovery - Supply and technology recovery - User environment recovery - Data recovery

25. If a company loses computing capabilities for a week - what is the chance they will go out of business (on average)?
Establishes senior management and a headquarters after a disaster. outlines roles and authorities - orders of succession - and individual role tasks
65%
Focuses on how to recover various IT mechanisms after a disaster. whereas a contingency plan is usually for nondisasters - a disaster recover plan is for disasters that require IT processing to take place at another facility
Before too many people come to their own conclusions about the company and begin to start false rumors

26. NIST Steps for Business Continuity
It's used when threats are identified that cannot be prevented. Taking on the full risk of these threats is often dangerous
Management support
1. Develop the continuity planning policy statement 2. Conduct the business impact analysis (BIA) 3. Identify preventive controls 4. Develop recovery strategies 5. Develop the contingency plan 6. Test the plan and conduct training and exercises 7. Ma
At the intersection of the cost of disruption and the cost to recover

27. What should the BCP team do in the recovery strategy stage?
Objective-to-task mapping - Resource-to-task mapping - Milestones - Budget estimates - Success factors - Deadlines
Plan for systems - networks - and major applications recovery procedures after disruptions. a contingency plan should be developed for each major system and application
Computer systems - Personnel - Procedures - Tasks - Supplies - Vendor support
It has to figure out what the company needs to do to actually recover the items it has identified as being so important to the organization overall... the BIA provides the footprint

28. At what point can a company have real confidence in a developed plan?
After it has been tested
1. Initiation Phase: goal statements - overview of concepts - roles and teams definitions - task definitions 2. Activation Phase: notification steps - damage assessment - plan activation 3. Recovery Phase: move to alternate site - restore processes -
Done to ensure that the specific systems can actually perform adequately at the alternate offsite facility. some systems are moved to the alternate site and processing takes place. the results are compared with the regular processing that is done at
It has to figure out what the company needs to do to actually recover the items it has identified as being so important to the organization overall... the BIA provides the footprint

29. Disk Shadowing
Data are dynamically created and maintained as images on two or more identical disks. this method is used to ensure the availability of data and to provide a fault-tolerant solution by duplicating hardware and maintaining more than one copy of the in
A method of transmitting data offsite - but it usually only includes moving the journal or transaction logs to the offsite facility - not the actual files. these logs contain the changes that have taken place to the individual files. Journaling is ef
A set of interrelated steps linked through specific decision activities to accomplish a specific task... business processes have starting and ending points and are repeatable
It's used when threats are identified that cannot be prevented. Taking on the full risk of these threats is often dangerous

30. What are the steps of a BIA?

31. Rolling Hot Site (Mobile Hot Site)
A type of facility-backup option where the back of a large truck or a trailer is turned into a data processing or working area (typically used by military organizations and large insurance companies)
Copies of the BCP are distributed to the different departments and functional areas for review
Committing fully to the BCP - Setting policy and goals - Making available the necessary funds and resources - Taking responsibility for the outcome of the development of the BCP - Appointing a team for the process
Lead the BCP team and oversee the development - implementation - and testing of the continuity and disaster recovery plans... this person needs to have direct access to management and have the credibility and authority to carry out leadership tasks

32. Once the project plan is completed - what should be done before further steps are taken?
Present it to management for written approval
65%
Backup all the files that have changed since the last full or incremental backup. this process sets the archive bit to 0
To resume business as quickly as possible - spending the least amount of money

33. Synchronous Replication
Includes getting critical systems to another environment while repair of the original facilities is under way - getting the right people to the right places - and performing business in a different mode until regular conditions are back in place
The primary and secondary copies are always in sync - which provides true real-time duplication
Focuses on how to recover various IT mechanisms after a disaster. whereas a contingency plan is usually for nondisasters - a disaster recover plan is for disasters that require IT processing to take place at another facility
A document that outlines who should be contacted in the event of a disaster - in what order - and who is responsible for doing the calling

34. Executive Succession Planning
Plan for systems - networks - and major applications recovery procedures after disruptions. a contingency plan should be developed for each major system and application
The plans that determine the steps needed to protect the company in the event that a senior executive retires - leaves the company - or is killed. also details the people who would step in and assume responsibility
Damage assessment team - legal team - media relations team - network recovery team - relocation team - restoration team - salvage team - security team - telecommunications team
Computer systems - Personnel - Procedures - Tasks - Supplies - Vendor support

35. Electronic Vaulting

36. Business Impact Analysis (BIA)
Identifying regulatory and legal requirements that must be met - Identifying all possible vulnerabilities and threats - Estimating the possibilities of these threats and the loss potential - Performing a BIA - Outlining which departments - systems -
Base it off of the probability of the threat becoming real and the loss potential. the goal is to make sure the insurance coverage fills in the gap of what the current preventative countermeasures cannot protect against
A facility that is leased or rented and is fully configured and ready to operate within a few hours... the only missing resources are usually the data - which will be retrieved from a backup site - and the people who are processing the data. The equi
A functional analysis in which a team collects data through interviews - workshops - and documentary sources; documents business functions - activities - and transactions (maybe in a set of flow charts); develops a hierarchy of business functions; an

37. What are some components required for the project plan?
Makes copies of files as they are modified and periodically transmits them to an offsite backup site. The transmission doesn't happen in real time but is carried out in batches
Responsible for getting the alternate site into a working and functioning environment. Needs to know how to install OSes - configure workstations and servers - string wiring and cabling - set up the network and configure networking services - and ins
All employees who participate in operational and support functions - or their representatives - come together to practice executing the disaster recovery plan based on a specific scenario. the scenario is used to test the reaction of each operational
Objective-to-task mapping - Resource-to-task mapping - Milestones - Budget estimates - Success factors - Deadlines

38. How frequently should a company's insurance be reviewed?
Lead the BCP team and oversee the development - implementation - and testing of the continuity and disaster recovery plans... this person needs to have direct access to management and have the credibility and authority to carry out leadership tasks
There is more risk for the organization because replacement systems won't be available... that's why many organizations have moved to commercial off the shelf (COTS) products. they want to make sure replacement is possible
Annually
The estimated lifetime of a piece of equipment... calculated by the vendor of the equipment or a third party

39. Warm Site

40. How can an organization keep the BCP up to date?
Data are dynamically created and maintained as images on two or more identical disks. this method is used to ensure the availability of data and to provide a fault-tolerant solution by duplicating hardware and maintaining more than one copy of the in
A type of policy in which the insurance company will pay for specified expenses and lost earnings in the event that a company is forced out of business for a certain length of time. another policy can be bought that insures accounts receivable - so i
Make business continuity a part of every business decision - Insert the maintenance responsibilities into job description - Include maintenance in personnel evaluations - Perform internal audits that include disaster recovery and continuity documenta
Present it to management for written approval

41. How should a company - during the BIA phase - find out what the risks of its geographical location are? And how should they find out how to access emergency zones?
Contact the local authorities
It needs to ensure the safety of employees - It needs to ensure an adequate environment is provided (power - facility infrastructure - water - HVAC) - It needs to ensure that the necessary equipment and supplies are present and in working order - It
When it is time for the company to move back into its original site or a new site
All employees who participate in operational and support functions - or their representatives - come together to practice executing the disaster recovery plan based on a specific scenario. the scenario is used to test the reaction of each operational

42. Continuity Planning
A promise that a service will be fulfilled within a certain timeframe
An estimate of how long it will take to fix a piece of equipment and get it back into production
A type of policy in which the insurance company will pay for specified expenses and lost earnings in the event that a company is forced out of business for a certain length of time. another policy can be bought that insures accounts receivable - so i
Provides methods and procedures for dealing with longer-term outages and disaster.

43. Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF)
A method of transmitting data offsite - but it usually only includes moving the journal or transaction logs to the offsite facility - not the actual files. these logs contain the changes that have taken place to the individual files. Journaling is ef
A document that lays out the scope of the BCP project - the team member roles - and the goals of the project. it outlines what needs to be accomplished after the team communicates with management and comes to agreement on the terms of the project
The estimated lifetime of a piece of equipment... calculated by the vendor of the equipment or a third party
Plan for systems - networks - and major applications recovery procedures after disruptions. a contingency plan should be developed for each major system and application

44. What is the main limitation of insurance coverage?

45. What issues does a company need to look at when determining when it should move into Reconstitution Phase?
Maximum tolerable downtime - Operational disruption and productivity - Financial considerations - Regulatory responsibilities - Reputation
Network and computer equipment - Voice and data communications resources - Human Resources - Transportation of equipment and personnel - Environment issues (HVAC) - Data and personnel security issues - Supplies (paper - forms - cabling - and so on) -
One person should be responsible... the authorities are the police department - security guards - fire department - emergency rescue - and management
It needs to ensure the safety of employees - It needs to ensure an adequate environment is provided (power - facility infrastructure - water - HVAC) - It needs to ensure that the necessary equipment and supplies are present and in working order - It

46. Who should be involved in the Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery plans? In what part of the process?
After it has been tested
Representatives from at least each of the following departments must be involved with not only the planning stages but also the testing and implementation stages: - Business Units - Senior Management - IT Department - Security Department - Communicat
Management support
Hot Site - Warm Site - Colde Site

47. How are offsite backup facility contracts usually established?
Annually
Contact the local authorities
The client pays a monthly fee to retain the right to use the facility in a time of need and then incurs a large activation fee when the facility actually has to be used... most recovery site contracts do not promise to house the company in need at a
The primary and secondary data volumes are only a few milliseconds out of sync - so the replication is nearly real-time

48. What are the benefits of using the Differential or Incremental backup methods?
It requires less resources and time
Present it to management for written approval
When it detects danger to human life - When it detects danger to state or national security - When it detects damage to the facility - When it detects damage to critical systems
Each disk would have a corresponding mirrored disk that contains the exact same information

49. What are the BCP team's responsibilities with regards to BCP planning?
When the power goes on the computers - it's also going to go out for the phones
Provides methods and procedures for dealing with longer-term outages and disaster.
A method of transmitting data offsite - but it usually only includes moving the journal or transaction logs to the offsite facility - not the actual files. these logs contain the changes that have taken place to the individual files. Journaling is ef
Identifying regulatory and legal requirements that must be met - Identifying all possible vulnerabilities and threats - Estimating the possibilities of these threats and the loss potential - Performing a BIA - Outlining which departments - systems -

50. Restoration Team
65%
Responsible for getting the alternate site into a working and functioning environment. Needs to know how to install OSes - configure workstations and servers - string wiring and cabling - set up the network and configure networking services - and ins
There is more than one disk controller - so if one fails - the other is ready and available
The most intrusive test to regular operations and business productivity. the original site is shut down - and processing takes place at the alternate site. this test takes a lot of planning and coordination but it can reveal many holes in the plan. f