Los Angeles, by some measures the quintessential 21st century city, must unify its IT business continuity and disaster recovery (BC/DR) plans should a major disaster threaten its critical systems, City Controller Ron Galperin said in a new audit of its systems and networks (via Techwire).
Right now L.A.’s BC/DR blueprint is siloed by individual city departments, each of which has its own plan for how it will handle system recovery if a powerful earthquake, fire or terrorist attack takes down vital IT functions. There is no citywide responsibility for BC/DR, hence no formal plan.
An ad hoc approach will no longer suffice, the Audit of Information Technology, Disaster Preparedness, Recovery and Continuity said. What’s needed, the report suggests, is a steering committee to develop an all-encompassing plan that unifies the various departments’ strategies.
Key audit findings:
Key audit recommendations:
One unstated takeaway from the study: It’s safe to assume that if L.A. believes its BC/DR planning needs some tightening, other large cities are probably in potential peril as well.
“The City needs to re-think its view of IT systems,” Galperin wrote in a letter introducing the report to Mayor Eric Garcetti, City Attorney Michael Feuer and members of the L.A. City Council. “Given the fundamental dependence we have on our critical IT systems, it is essential that we view IT as critical infrastructure, not merely software or computers.”
L.A.’s essential IT systems, owing to their impact on public safety and services, range from the police department’s dispatch and network communications systems, to the city’s emergency communications, crime monitoring, payroll and financial management, the report said.
