Newport News Public Schools

The Newport News Public Schools (NNPS), Virginia, engaged Delta to develop a comprehensive Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) to protect critical business functions and the IT systems and data necessary to maintain operations. The project took a holistic approach to identify critical business operations and the people and systems that integrate with them, and to evaluate technical, man-made, and natural vulnerabilities that could disrupt the critical business functions. Vulnerabilities were assessed on their probability, impact, and time to recover.

Delta assisted the NNPS through a structured Business Impact Analysis process. The BIA helps an organization understand the impact of an interruption of service over time. Critical business functions are those key functions that must continue regardless of the emergency/incident.

Next, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) electronic mapping services were used to identify and research vulnerabilities. Delta mapped the NNPS’s facilities and overlaid hazard data layers (e.g., floodplain, Surry Power Station Emergency Planning Zone, and SLOSH model) to determine which facilities would be affected by these scenarios. Delta also identified any critical services/systems that were maintained on-site.

Additionally, possible man-made (e.g., Surry Power Station) and technological (e.g., server failure) vulnerabilities were assessed and prioritized.

The Delta team cross-walked the BIA with the vulnerability analysis to prioritize the critical business functions that were most at risk. Delta then performed a detailed site survey of the NNPS’s IT infrastructure, policies, and procedures to complete a gap analysis. From the gap analysis mitigation recommendations, Delta developed and provided a DRP.