So Alex is now passing through and everything seems to be ok but what if it hadn’t turned. Would your company be ready to act and have everything failed over to your stand by site or would you be running around trying to figure out what to do. Hurricane season in the south is always exciting for us as we try to get our clients to prepare for possible disasters. I cant stress enough how important a disaster plan is to businesses not just for hurricane season but being prepared for any disaster. Below is a basic outline to help let you know if you are ready. These are the steps the government recommends when preparing this season.
Assess your current plan. Conduct a business impact assessment that prioritizes critical processes for the entire organization. For example, processes that need to resume within 24 hours to prevent serious mission impact, such as essential citizen services, could receive an “A” rating.
Take steps to protect data. Agencies should back up data frequently to ensure that data integrity and applications are not jeopardized. Agencies should also store multiple copies of data off site, at a remote location, a long distance from the primary data center.
Review power options. Agencies should add uninterrupted power supplies (UPS) to keep the most essential applications running. In addition, cooling systems should be supported by backup generators. Temperature spikes can cause unplanned interruptions when operations are most critical.
Identify and appoint a cross-functional preparedness team. Create a team to design and test the disaster recovery plan, as well as a recovery team, which will participate in recovery activities after any declared disaster.
Document, test and update. The disaster preparedness plan should include logistical details, including travel to backup sites, and even who has spending authority for emergency needs. The plan should be tested in an environment that simulates an actual emergency.
Consider telecommunications alternatives. Following Hurricane Katrina, many organizations lost access to reliable telecommunications equipment for days. Alternative communications vehicles, including wireless phones and satellite phones, should be considered.
Form tight relationships with vendors. Hardware, software, network and service vendors can help expedite recovery, can often ensure priority replacement of telecommunications equipment, personal computers, servers, and network hardware in the event of a disaster.
