How can you use threat intelligence to improve your business continuity planning?

1 Identify and prioritize risks

Threat intelligence can help you identify and prioritize the most relevant and likely risks to your organization, based on your industry, geography, size, and other factors. For example, if you are a financial institution, you may face more sophisticated and targeted cyberattacks than a retail store. Or, if you are located in a coastal area, you may need to prepare for hurricanes or floods more than a landlocked region. By using threat intelligence, you can assess the probability and impact of different scenarios, and allocate your resources and efforts accordingly.

2 Update and align your plans

Threat intelligence can also help you update and align your BCP with the changing threat landscape and your organizational objectives. For example, if you discover a new vulnerability in your software or hardware, you may need to adjust your backup and recovery procedures. Or, if you expand your business to a new market or location, you may need to revise your communication and coordination protocols. By using threat intelligence, you can ensure that your BCP reflects the current and future state of your organization and its environment.

3 Train and test your staff

Threat intelligence can also help you train and test your staff on how to respond to different types of threats and incidents. For example, if you learn about a new phishing or ransomware campaign, you can use it to create realistic simulations or exercises for your employees. Or, if you monitor the trends and patterns of natural disasters or pandemics, you can use them to evaluate your preparedness and contingency plans. By using threat intelligence, you can improve your staff's awareness and skills, and measure your BCP's effectiveness and gaps.

4 Learn and improve from others

Threat intelligence can also help you learn and improve from the experiences and best practices of other organizations in your industry or sector. For example, if you observe how a competitor or a partner handled a similar threat or incident, you can use it to benchmark your own performance and identify areas for improvement. Or, if you join a network or a community of practice that shares threat intelligence and BCP insights, you can use it to gain feedback and recommendations. By using threat intelligence, you can leverage the collective knowledge and wisdom of your peers and experts.

Threat intelligence is a valuable asset for your BCP, as it can help you identify and prioritize risks, update and align your plans, train and test your staff, and learn and improve from others. By using threat intelligence, you can make your BCP more proactive, adaptive, and effective, and protect your organization from the unexpected and the unknown.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?