Helping Companies Prepare for the Unthinkable -- Advice From Satel.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 13, 2001

In the wake of this week's tragic events, many companies are

assessing their level of preparedness in the face of disaster

Satel Inc., a leader in information security with a legacy of helping companies worldwide prepare for worst-case scenarios, Thursday offers an expert's look at the process of keeping businesses running during times of crisis.

The fundamental ingredient in a safe information technology (IT) infrastructure is the policy, technology, and practices that surround data security.

Based on its years of experience with some of the region's most complex IT installations and leveraging its unique expertise in the intricacies of IT security, Satel encourages companies of all sizes to assess vulnerabilities, plan contingencies, and execute appropriate security measures to ensure that disasters like Tuesday's terrorist attacks or more commonplace threats such as computer viruses and hackers don't cripple business activities.

"After the initial horror of this tragedy and the grieving over the loss of thousands of lives finally passes, the reality of providing continuing employment for survivors and serving the customers of the dozens of destroyed companies will gradually creep to the forefront," said Roger Blohm, director, managed services at Satel.

"For the well-being of everyone involved, it's critical that companies get back to business as usual as quickly as possible. How quickly that happens is directly tied to the planning those companies did weeks, months, and even years before. The lessons being learned in New York and Washington D.C. can apply equally to every business in Utah, whether it's a small shop or a multinational corporation."

Step One: Assessment

An accurate assessment of a company's day-to-day business activities is the necessary first step in an adequate contingency plan. Satel encourages organizations of all sizes to accurately examine their reliance on computer resources and the security of those resources. Companies must determine which resources (data and applications) are most critical to vital business activities.

Based on this hierarchy of resources, companies should assign acceptable standby timeframes to each. For example, a payroll system would not necessarily need to be back online until the next pay period. On the other hand, for financial institutions, transaction records and applications demand immediate restoration.

Step Two: Select and Implement Solutions

Once this hierarchy and its related standby intervals are determined, companies can logically select and implement appropriate security solutions. Solutions range from a variety of data and application backup and recovery strategies to quick-turnaround sources for computer hardware. Depending on how mission-critical a particular set of data and applications is, options include:

-- Hot standby -- creating an exact duplicate of data and applications that is
updated in real-time and automatically takes over if the primary system fails.

-- Cold standby -- creating an exact duplicate of data and applications that is
updated periodically and can be activated within a relatively short timeframe
(typically a matter of hours)

-- Site diversification -- keeping backup resources or running standby systems
at sites geographically separated from primary activities.

-- Outsourcing -- turning data and application hosting,

management, security, backup, and recovery over to a managed

service provider (MSP) that provides a level of security,

expertise, and redundancy typically missing in most

organizations.

-- Backup -- ranging from weekly data backup stored in the

company safe to real-time, entire-system backups stored at

off-site data storage facilities.

The solutions a company uses will be determined by the relative impact that a loss of data or applications will have on business. For example, an e-commerce company would require a fully redundant hot standby of its Web site and applications, while a restaurant would require only a nightly data backup stored off-site.

Step Three: Incident Response Plan

Finally, companies must determine how they will react in the event of unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances. While the response to situations such as the recent terrorist attacks, fire, or a natural disaster are fairly clear-cut -- rebuild systems and get data and applications running as soon as possible -- many other very real threats require more complex response plans.

For situations such as computer viruses, hacker attacks, or computer mischief initiated by disgruntled employees, appropriate response often demands continuing operations while reversing damages, investigating causes, communicating with customers, and even launching investigations and legal recourse. Obviously, incident response can involve much more than simply restoring data.

"Not every business needs in-depth planning and detailed incident response plans," said Blohm. "But for those that can't continue to function without mission-critical data and applications, any security and contingency investment made on the front end will be paid back many times if a tragedy does happen."

About Satel Inc.

Founded in 1994, Satel Inc. is a security solutions provider that specializes in designing and implementing information security solutions.

As skilled and knowledgeable architects of security design, training, and risk assessment, Satel is quickly becoming a recognized leader for providing cutting-edge security solutions for enterprises of all sizes. Satel's products and services are ideally tailored to the banking, legal, technology, and medical markets.

The company's core competencies include security consulting services, managed security services, hardened Internet access, secure co-location and hosting, and IT network design and architecture services.

With unparalleled expertise in harnessing the power of security technology and a customized approach to client problem solving, Satel makes identifying, understanding, and managing security risks possible and affordable.

Some organizations that have benefited from Satel's expertise include Salt Lake Organizing Committee, Caspian Sea Pipeline Consortium, Fluor, Chevron, Texaco, Salt Lake City Corp., Williams, Packard Bell, Bluepoint Technologies, Cerberian, The Heart Center, Amirsys, and NIVO.