September is here and with it we welcome another National Preparedness Month, an initiative sponsored by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that encourages people to plan ahead and prepare for disasters and emergencies. The theme for this year’s National Preparedness Month is Disasters Don’t Wait. Make Your Plan Today.
The challenges brought on by COVID-19 have taught us that unexpected disasters can happen to anyone at any time; though nothing could have fully prepared us for the effects of this pandemic, preparedness planning is still our best tool to mitigate the impact of an emergency. We encourage you to take some time this month to revisit and adjust your own disaster recovery plans.
Prepare For All Types of Disasters
Disaster planning goes beyond preparing for natural disasters – it sets guidelines and strategies to prepare for all types of disruptive events that you’re at risk for, including:
- Loss of critical data
- Cyberattacks, malware, and ransomware
- Hardware and network failure
- Power outages
- User error
- Any other form of damage to your business that could cause a disruption, including theft and fires
Make a Plan for Disruptive Events
When disaster does strike, it’s the businesses that have prepared for the worst that fare the best. So, this month, ask yourself: how would my business respond if disaster hits today?
If you don’t currently have a Disaster Recovery Plan, start working on identifying all potential threats to your operations, evaluate any safeguards you might already have in place, and think about what steps you can take to minimize downtime and mitigate losses.
If you already have a Disaster Recovery Plan, set some time aside this September and put your plan to the test! Testing will help you verify the effectiveness of your continuity strategy, confirm that your staff knows exactly what to do in case of disaster, and identify any areas that may need improvement.
Need Help Getting Ready for Disaster?
Jumpstart your continuity plan with this free and customizable Disaster Recovery Template. You can use this template as a framework to:
- Determine the key recovery steps you need to perform during and after an emergency to resume operations as quickly as possible.
- Set a timeline for Recovery
- Identify the critical team members who will be involved in recovery procedures
- Prepare strategies for different types of disasters including:
- Disruptions of your internal resources (like your data center)
- Problems with external dependencies (like your cloud services), and
- Significant network outages
If you still have questions or need help preparing an effective Business Continuity Plan, schedule a complimentary consultation or send us a message – we’d love to help!
