Business continuity and disaster recovery plans should not just be limited to the potential of cyber-attacks, but also include the potential of natural disaster. Floods, fires, and more can be catastrophic to your business if you do not have offsite backups and other preventative methods. Twenty homes and businesses were flooded in southwest Virginia, and it could happen to your business too (Roanoke Times).

 

“Business continuity management is, at its core, the planning for emergency situations in the future. This includes natural and digital disasters, essential backups, record tracking, and other data management concerns, which keep the most important parts of the business in view so that they can be easily and quickly recovered and implemented in the future.” (IT Business Edge).

 

With storms causing flooding across the South, it is advisable to be extra cautious regarding data security. Data centers in Louisiana relied on generators in the wake of hurricane Ida.

 

“In the aftermath of powerful Hurricane Ida, leading data center service providers in Louisiana continued operating, relying on backup generators to ride out widespread utility outages. The deadly category 4 hurricane presents a more daunting challenge for companies with on-premise data centers in New Orleans, which could be without power for weeks following the “catastrophic failure” of the primary electric transmission towers serving the city.” (Data Center Frontier).

 

According to Tech Republic, the best way to back up your data in the event of a flood is to store a copy far offsite to protect the technology.

 

“Off-site storage of the data is just as important as the backup itself, particularly if you live in a flood plain. In the case of floods, the disaster tends to be far-reaching, affecting entire groups of buildings or even cities. Since any tapes or other backup systems located within the flood zone will be either inaccessible or possibly damaged or destroyed, keeping the tapes and other systems in the same physical location as the protected systems is inadvisable.” (Tech Republic).

 

It’s important to test your plan after it is completed, to avoid any hiccups when an emergency actually does arise.

 

“The only way you can grasp the idea of a solid plan for your business is testing the waters. Plan for business disruption and every now and then test the waters; make sure your team demonstrates the steps expected during a disruption, move your back-up and verify your software, test record validations or alternative communications methods.” (IT Business Edge).

 

After a flood or other natural disaster takes place, it's important to act quickly in recovering your data from the secondary location.

 

“Immediately, you may need to restore data and/or fail over data systems to another location. This should be judged based on the priority of the data in question and how long the company can go without having access to it.” (Tech Republic). “Once you've found where you will restore to (a step that can be planned out well beforehand), you can then get in the required hardware, set up your systems, and restore the data. Often, you can have secondary systems read to go at another location or have hardware manufacturers ready to ship express to your new site.”

 

Storms can leave an unbelievable amount of destruction in their wake, but the storms should not destroy the continuity of your business. Happy business continuity and disaster recovery planning!

 

Have any questions about cyber-security? Responsive Technology Partners is the leading cyber-security expert in the Roanoke area. Service offerings include I.T. support, cyber-security and compliance, telephony, cloud services, cabling, access control, and camera systems. Our company’s mission is to provide world-class customer service through industry leading I.T. solutions that make every customer feel as if they are our only customer. Please visit our website to learn more: https://www.responsivetechnologypartners.com/.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources: 

The Roanoke Times, “Devastating SouthWest Virginia Flooding” https://roanoke.com/weather/photos-1-person-missing-20-homes-destroyed-in-devastating-southwest-virginia-flooding/collection_84adc3e6-2097-5385-933f-7406dafa296a.html 

Tech Republic, “Disaster Recovery: How to Protect Your Systems From Flood Threats” https://www.techrepublic.com/article/disaster-recovery-how-to-protect-your-systems-from-flood-threats/ 

Data Center Frontier, “Data Centers Rely on Generators”https://datacenterfrontier.com/louisiana-data-centers-rely-on-generators-in-wake-of-hurricane-ida/ 

IT Business Edge, “Why Business Continuity Management Matters Now More Than Ever” https://www.itbusinessedge.com/it-management/bcm-matters/