2.1.1
Rule 4.12.1 requires Members to maintain adequate business continuity arrangements, and document such arrangements in a business continuity plan. As a guide, a Member's business continuity plan should document the following elements:
(a) Risk assessment. This includes a comprehensive assessment of business continuity risks (including financial and operational risks) and threat scenarios which may severely disrupt a Member's operations. Such scenarios may include prolonged power outages, IT system software or hardware failures, loss of voice or data communication links, acts of terrorism, and outbreak of infectious diseases.
(b) Business impact analysis. This is an evaluation of the impact of the risks and threat scenarios identified in (a) above. The business impact analysis should identify critical business functions (including support operations and related information technology systems) and potential losses (monetary and non-monetary) to enable the Member to determine recovery strategies/priorities and recovery time objectives.
(c) Work area recovery. This refers to continuity arrangements for a Member's critical functional capabilities in the event that the Member's primary office becomes inaccessible, for example, availability of a disaster recovery site ready for activation within a reasonable period of time.
(d) Crisis communications. This refers to a communications plan for the Member to liaise with its internal and external stakeholders such as employees, customers and regulatory authorities during a crisis.
(e) Roles and responsibilities. This refers to the identification of a Member's key personnel and management staff, their roles and responsibilities, and reporting lines. Alternates should be identified to cover the responsibilities of absent key personnel.
(f) Backup for critical functions, information technology systems and data. Critical functions refer to business functions whose failure or disruption may incapacitate the firm.
(g) Key service providers. This refers to assessing a Member's dependencies on key service providers in recovery strategies and recovery time objectives, and taking steps to ensure that key service providers are capable of supporting the Member's business, even in disruptions. Key service providers refer to third-parties who are performing functions that are not normally carried out by Member firms internally, but are critical to Member firms' ability to carry on business operations, for example, IT system hardware/software vendors.
(h) Outsourcing service providers. This refers to assessing whether the service provider has established satisfactory Business Continuity Plans commensurate with the nature, scope and complexity of the outsourced services. Outsourcing service providers refer to third parties who are performing functions that would normally be performed by Members firms internally, for example, Operations and Technology.
(i) Any other elements that the Member deems necessary to be included in its business continuity plan or which SGX-ST may prescribe from time to time.
Added on 3 June 20193 June 2019.