Hi!
I’m Austin Ringland, Systems Administrator Team Lead at MIS Solutions. As we have entered May, marking the official start of storm season, I wanted to share some essential strategies to help you safeguard your IT systems from potential disasters caused by severe weather.
Mother Nature can wreak havoc on infrastructure, but with proactive planning, organizations can minimize disruptions and keep their operations running smoothly. Here are some key steps to have in place at your organization to optimize storm preparedness for your IT:
- Develop a Disaster Recovery Plan: Establish a comprehensive IT disaster recovery plan tailored to storm-related risks. Regularly test and update it to ensure effectiveness.
- Implement Redundant Data Backup: Store backups in off-site or cloud environments to prevent data loss. Consider real-time data replication for critical information.
- Secure Remote Access: Ensure employees can work remotely with secure VPNs and cloud-based collaboration tools.
- Protect Against Power Surges: Use uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems, surge protectors, and backup generators to safeguard IT infrastructure.
- Maintain Effective Communication: Set up mass notification systems, email alerts, and instant messaging platforms to keep employees informed during storms.
- Assess IT Infrastructure: Conduct regular risk assessments of UPS systems, cooling equipment, and power generation to minimize downtime.
- Determine Recovery Objectives: Define recovery point objectives (RPO) and recovery time objectives (RTO) to prioritize critical systems.
Assess your organization’s IT storm plan now. Are you ready? Do you have these steps in place? Taking these precautions can help organizations maintain business continuity and reduce the impact of severe weather on IT operations.
If you find that your disaster recovery plan needs some fostering – stay tuned for my next MIS Thought Leadership article on “Important Elements of a Disaster Recovery Plan.”
Talk to you soon!
Austin Ringland
