Floods, terrorist threats and natural disasters hog the headlines and every time there are businesses whose existence is put at risk because they failed to anticipate.

Those sort of risks are, thankfully, rare – but any organisation needs to expect the unexpected and prepare accordingly.

From giving staff a place to work, to relocating computers, protecting paper-based information or simply making sure there is someone to answer the phone when a customer rings, planning for the unexpected is no longer seen as a luxury.

Ensuring the continuity of the business is essential best practice.

As part of Computing's Managing Risk programme, post your comments below and join in the business continuity debate.