2 cissp ® Official Study Guide Eighth Edition

 Bombings/Explosions 
Explosions can result from a variety of man-made occurrences. Explosive gases from leaks 
might fi ll a room/building and later ignite and cause a damaging blast. In many areas, 
bombings are also cause for concern. From a disaster planning perspective, the effects of 
bombings and explosions are like those caused by a large-scale fi re. However, planning 
to avoid the impact of a bombing is much more diffi cult and relies on physical security 
measures we cover in Chapter 10, “Physical Security Requirements.”
 Power Outages 
Even the most basic disaster recovery plan contains provisions to deal with the threat of a 
short power outage. Critical business systems are often protected by uninterruptible power 
supply (UPS) devices to keep them running at least long enough to shut down or long 
enough to get emergency generators up and working. Even so, could your organization keep 
operating during a sustained power outage? 
After Hurricane Harvey made landfall in 2017, millions of people in Texas lost power. 
Does your business continuity plan include provisions to keep your business viable during 
such a prolonged period without power? Does your disaster recovery plan make ample 
preparations for the timely restoration of power even if the commercial power grid remains 
unavailable? 

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The Nature of Disaster 
809
Check your UPSs regularly! These critical devices are often overlooked 
until they become necessary. Many UPSs contain self-testing mechanisms 
that report problems automatically, but it’s still a good idea to subject them 
to regular testing. Also, be sure to audit the number and type of devices 
plugged into each UPS. It’s amazing how many people think it’s okay to 
add “just one more system” to a UPS, and you don’t want to be surprised 
when the device can’t handle the load during a real power outage!
Today’s technology-driven organizations depend increasingly on electric power, so your 
BCP/DRP team should consider provisioning alternative power sources that can run business 
systems indefi nitely. An adequate backup generator could make a huge difference when the 
survival of your business is at stake.