Business Continuity

National Business Continuity Guide

The Federal Reserve Banks are committed to maintaining stable financial processes and have extensive, documented plans in the unlikely event of service interruption for any reason. Each business area listed to the right are your links to vital information (what to do, who to contact) before, during and after a Federal Reserve business disruption. By and large, there are two main areas of focus in this regard: resilience and business continuity.

Statements of Resilience

Business Continuity Guide

This Business Continuity Guide provides continuity information for all Federal Reserve products and services in the unlikely event of a business disruption. The guide provides specific product and service information on:

  • Steps to take to prepare for a Federal Reserve business disruption
  • Actions to take during a Federal Reserve business disruption
  • Actions to take immediately following a Federal Reserve business disruption

The Federal Reserve System plays a major role in maintaining the stability and integrity of the nation’s financial infrastructure. Since the vast majority of dollars that move through the payments system rely in some way on electronic networks, and other business between the Federal Reserve and its customers could be negatively impacted if interrupted, it is critical that we continuously revisit and update our business continuity plans.

The Federal Reserve is constantly seeking ways to minimize the likelihood of a service disruption, and the impact that any disruption may have on you and your customers. When we implement changes that affect how you access our business functions or obtain information about those functions during a business disruption, we will update the information in this online Business Continuity Guide.

The Federal Reserve has established multiple automation centers that house our Reserve Bank applications. All of our critical applications reside at one of these centers and are fully backed up by other facilities. Following a disruption in service, the Federal Reserve will resume normal operations as quickly as possible. In the meantime:

  • Follow the instructions contained in this guide
  • Ensure you and your staff are familiar with these procedures in advance of a disruption
  • Keep a hard copy of all pertinent Business Continuity sections handy for easy access during an emergency
  • Review this guide periodically to ensure you have the most recent information

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