Improving Business Continuity in the Financial Services Sector: A Model for Starting Regional Coalitions

Prior to September 11, 2001, business continuity and disaster recovery plans were primarily developed by and geared to individual financial firms - with firms establishing, testing and refining their own plans. The event of 9/11 showed us in horrifying detail how vulnerable these firms are - and how dependent they are on each other. The financial services industry, under auspices of the Department of the Treasury, formed a national private sector coordinating body known as The Financial Services Sector Coordinating Council for Critical Infrastructure Protection and Homeland Security (FSSCC). The FSSCC was created to foster and facilitate financial services sector-wide voluntary activities and initiatives designed to improve critical infrastructure protection and homeland security. While the FSSCC serves at the national level, a few individuals saw the need to establish regional coalitions. A physical terrorist attack will likely have localized or regional implications. It makes sense for financial services firms located in close geographic proximity to collaborate and cooperate on issues related to business continuity. It is important to note that regional coalitions are not substitutions for national initiatives. Instead they are intended to to augment existing information sharing efforts.