FACTS

Did You Know...

• Within two years after Hurricane Andrew struck in 1992, 80 percent of the affected companies that lacked a business continuity plan failed. (FEMA)
   
• According to the Association of Records Managers and Administration, about 60 percent of businesses that experience a major disaster such as a fire, close within two years.
   
• According to Labor Department statistics, over 40 percent of all companies that experience a disaster never reopen, and more than 25 percent of those that do reopen close within two years.
   
• 80 Percent of businesses suffering a computer disaster who have no disaster recovery plans, go out of business. “A Bridge Too Far”, IBM Business Recovery Service & Cranfield, 1993
   
• According to the Association of Records Managers and Administration, about 60 percent of businesses that experience a major disaster such as a fire close within two years.
   
• According to Labor Department statistics, over 40 percent of all companies that experience a disaster never reopen, and more than 25 percent of those that do reopen close within two years.
   
• Over the past decade, about 258 million people have been affected by natural disasters worldwide every year.
   
• A destructive tsunami hits the West Coast of the United States about once every 18 years.
   
• Every year an average of 10,000 people die because of earthquakes.
   
• Doorways are one of the safest places to be during an earthquake because they are usually reinforced and will be the best protection from falling debris. Hold on until the quake is completely over (most casualties occur during after shocks).
   
• A tropical storm becomes a hurricane when the speed of its winds goes over 74 mph.
   
• Storm surges (the huge waves created during a hurricane) are usually more dangerous than the strong winds and storms.
   
• Floods account for about 46% of disaster-related deaths in the United States.
   
• It is more difficult to find clean water than food after a water-related disaster because water supplies become contaminated.
   
• Tornadoes can form anywhere in the US. Their average size is about 660 feet wide.
  
   

Cyber Attacks:

• Symantec and the Ponemon Institute released the 2010 Annual Study: U.S. Cost of a Data Breach, showing the rising cost of data breaches over the last five years.
  
  
  • According to the report, the average organizational cost of a data breach in 2010 has risen to $7.2 million.
     
  • The same study also revealed that malicious or criminal attacks were the most expensive form of attack, and they are on the rise. In 2010, 31 percent of all cases involved a malicious or criminal act.
     
  • Attacks are also on the rise, with 43 percent of respondents indicating there has been a significant increase in the frequency of cyber attacks during the past 12 months and 77 percent saying these attacks have become more severe or difficult to detect or contain.