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For
businesses to be successful, it is imperative for organisations
to keep their information data available at all times. Savio
Monterio chalks out ten steps that ensure that companies are
ready to face any sudden disaster
Data
availability is increasingly becoming the deciding factor in the
success of a business. The Internet boom and the subsequent surge
in information have only complicated matters. Nonetheless, making
this plethora of information available to all users with minimal
downtime holds the key to success. However, disasters can disrupt
any chance of achieving one’s business goals in seconds and
can destroy business viability altogether. There may be many threatening
events like Internet crime, computer viruses, power failures, etc,
leading to organisational data loss. To prevent this, disaster management
policies and practices are a must.
A
disaster management plan is put in place to protect business data
assets and infrastructure in the event of a system crash due to
a hardware failure, natural disaster or other calamity. The disaster
management plan not only includes the obvious backup of data, but
also contingencies such as security access to the data and staff
to manage the data. If a disaster recovery plan is in place and
executed effectively, all business-critical data should be recovered
with minimal or no business impact even if the system at the primary
location is lost.
Steps
for disaster recovery readiness:
Take
appropriate precautions: Any easily damageable documentation should
be stored in reinforced boxes, to prevent water damage in flooding
for example. Paper files take up space and are a fire hazard, clear
your offices of paper files that have backed up soft copies. To
prevent equipment and furniture toppling, move heavier items to
lower storage shelves; brace racks; secure cabinets and light fixtures,
tall furniture and desktop equipment including computers.
Analyse
your company’s business applications: Determine which applications
are critical to your business and those that you could survive without
for a period of time, without causing lasting damage. By analysing
your critical applications create a clear, functional description
of what, for your company, constitutes a disaster. By declaring
a disaster, ensure you are aware of the impact this would have on
your company. This could mean loss of revenue, loss of faith, bad
publicity, or even business going under.
Select
your disaster recovery and backup vendor from a worldwide organisation:
Counting on suppliers near to your location can impact your ability
to recover when faced with regional disasters. Stock appropriate
emergency supplies, and ensure that all employees know where to
find and how to use them. Identify personnel with first aid, or
other medical/emergency response training. When purchasing emergency
supplies, don’t buy too much or not enough. Plan on serving
the needs of 20-30 percent of your workforce for 72 hours.
Disaster
recovery teams: Have disaster recovery teams prepared by assessing
personnel
strengths
and weaknesses in terms of knowledge, skill and performance, in
order to ensure the best team members are trained and ready and
implement succession planning for all levels of personnel. Have
all employees compose thorough job descriptions and procedure manuals
specific to their roles. Indeed, your company should have a quality
process that does just this. Ensure you regularly test these procedures
to see if substitute personnel, guided solely by the documentation
provided, can fulfil duties.
5
Cross training: Ensure cross training across all departments in
critical business processes and a mechanism to borrow personnel
from other departments or locations within the company. Prioritise
critical processes and workflow. Be aware of interpersonal and interdepartmental
reliance. Training is key to effective personnel response. Employees
are apt to carry out assigned duties correctly if they’ve had
time to review, question and internalise.
6
Ensure you have an internal emergency communication plan: Incorporate
contingency plan developments into monthly newsletters to keep all
personnel informed. Maintain current, accurate status information
on personnel, facilities, and resources. In the event of an emergency,
you will need these items close at hand. As part of your communications
survival strategy, pre-plan to have inbound, local and international
telephone calls transferred to another number, a blank group of
trunks, or to cellular phones after a disaster strikes. It is possible
that special transportation may be required, either company supplied
or from an external supplier, to get your staff to and from their
work location.
7
Fire evacuation procedures: All companies have fire evacuation procedures,
you would have thought. Ensure these procedures are current and
staff are aware of the primary and alternate evacuation routes and
their assembly area. When names, phone numbers, equipment, roles
and locations change at your company, make sure plans are updated
immediately. For businesses located in two-story buildings or higher,
evacuation and search and rescue kits are essential, including stretchers,
light sticks, goggles, etc.
8
Business survival: Increase your odds of personnel and business
survival by prohibiting key executives from travelling on the same
aircraft. Be sure that your alternative site is not served by the
same electrical power grid or communications centre as your primary
facility. Identify facilities in your area that could use hazardous
materials. Determine whether an incident could affect your facility.
9
Safe environment: During a recovery operation, watch for signs of
excessive stress and fatigue. Even exceptionally good performers
reach a point where they no longer can think clearly and are prone
to serious error. Identify ‘at risk’ employees, those
who are deeply affected by traumatic stress. Move them to a safe
environment under the care of counsellors or friends and assess
the need for professional intervention.
10
Knowledge: Ensure that everyone—from the CEO to the temp answering
the phones—knows what’s expected of them during a disaster.
Secure in that knowledge, people are less likely to panic. Conduct
background checks of all employees and periodic checks of anyone
with access to sensitive information. All employees should be educated
on the effects of traumatic stress and in ways to help oneself and
others who have been impacted by a crisis. Train supervisors and
personnel in conflict resolution to help deter workplace violence.
(The
author is country sales manager-channels, Veritas Software Solutions)
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