The 21st Annual Business Continuity Awards, celebrating achievement in business continuity, security and resilience, are open for entries. The Business Continuity Awards are the most anticipated event in the business continuity calendar and provides unrivalled networking, alongside a night of entertainment and celebration.

Cyber attacks and data breaches continue to top the list of challenges for business continuity professionals, according to the BCI’s latest annual Supply Chain Resilience Report. As per last year’s report, uptake of business continuity arrangements continues to grow, with increasing numbers of organisations embedding business continuity to protect supply chains – and that’s despite what it highlights as a declining commitment from senior management…

HawkSight Software has joined forces with PGI to offer users data feed integration capabilities covering geopolitical events, security incidents and business continuity threats. Working with PGI’s API, the software will display incident data from the last 48 hours each time a user logs in whilst storing older data for recall when required. Incident data can be displayed as a cluster, or heat layer, and may also be charted, with click through capability to enable interrogation of individual incidents in greater detail.

Some jobs are more risky than others. Individuals working in the emergency services, security, heavy industry or health and social care are clearly at greater risk of encountering psychological trauma due to the nature of their occupation. At the same time, though, very few in other, less obviously risky roles are completely immune to difficult or distressing events such as assaults on staff, serious accidents or injuries, robberies, or even the death or suicide of colleagues.

Risk reviews conducted by the Information Commissioners Office have revealed ‘areas of concern’ among eight different charities. The ICO conducted the risk reviews for a random eight charities after its enforcement against 13 charities in the period between December 2016 and April 2016.

A second Brexit contract continuity clause has been issued by the International Underwriting Association, following its publication last month of a policy clause to help companies manage insurance contracts as the UK leaves the European Union. This latest publication features a supporting document for when risks are underwritten on a subscription market basis.

The terrorist attacks that took place in 2017 have led to a lower tolerance for risk within counter-terrorism investigations, which could result in earlier plot disruptions, leading to weaker evidential yields which would not be enough to convict suspects of the more serious terrorist offences which attract longer jail terms. This, in turn, would lead to quicker release from prison; and thus, the cycle of conviction, sentencing and imprisonment would be shortened, so amplifying the terrorism threat to business and people in the UK.

Failure to capture and disclose key workforce data is keeping investors, employees and other parties in the dark on key business indicators. So says professional HR body, CIPD, which is calling for improved reporting and transparency from Britain’s biggest businesses. Research recently carried out by the organisation shows the degree to which workforce reporting has changed over the last five years and explores how transparent organisations are being about risks and opportunities relating to the workforce.

Business continuity transport and accommodation solution provider, CMAC, has acquired managed taxi specialist Cabfind from Transdev. The acquisition expands CMAC’s ground transport offer, establishing the largest available network of private hire, executive vehicles and coaches in the UK servicing wide range of industries including rail, airline, travel management and professional services.

The Bank of England, Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) have today published a joint discussion paper on an approach to improve the operational resilience of firms and financial market infrastructures. The tripartite group is looking for better standards of operational resilience through increased focus on setting, monitoring and testing specific impact tolerances for key business services, which define the amount of disruption that could be tolerated.

Organisations are keenly aware of the increasing threat of crises, yet many may overestimate their capabilities to respond. This is among the conclusions of Deloitte's latest crisis management survey, which found that 60% of organisations face more crises today than they did ten years ago.

The winners of the 20th annual Business Continuity Awards have been revealed at a Gala Dinner and Ceremony in London's Mayfair. This year's Lifetime Achievement award was presented to Steve Mellish, while the Business Continuity Manager of the Year gong went to Nicky Russell of RBS. More...

RSA has received licence approval for its new subsidiary in Luxembourg from local regulator, the Commissariat aux Assurances (CAA). The new subsidiary has been established in preparation for the UK’s exit from the European Union. Existing EU branch business of RSAI PLC will be transferred to RSA Luxembourg (RSAL) by way of a Part VII Transfer and then directly onto the RSAL licence from 1st January 2019.

The effects of the recent Beast from the East have exposed just how vulnerable some parts of our highways infrastructure can be to extreme weather conditions. Highways claims continue to be a key risk area and having a robust claims management approach to highways claims is essential to any local authority risk manager.

Fusion Risk Management has launched a cloud-based managed solution designed to help crisis management, business continuity and disaster recovery professionals connect its system with OnSolve's Send Word Now notification system.