So far, 2020 has been abundant in tumultuous events. We’re still up for a bumpy ride, especially with the hurricane season in full swing. What is more, forecasters already predict it’s going to be much more intense than the average season. The 2020 hurricane season is expected to end around November 30. As such, you still have enough time to brace yourself for impact.
Due to the global situation, many businesses worldwide have closed or are on the verge of bankruptcy, and unfavorable weather conditions will only bring more trouble. As the vast majority of companies store important data online, power outages, system malfunctions, flooding, or even building damage can pose a serious threat to the continuity of your business. That’s why you should put effort into securing crucial information to give yourself and your employees much-needed peace of mind. In this article, we’ll provide you with 4 solutions to consider implementing to protect your business’ data during hurricane season. Here’s everything you need to know:
Know your data
Data awareness is the most critical step you need to take immediately when you decide to secure information related to your business. After all, you need to know what needs to be secured and what is redundant. Every company utilizes different ways to use, share, and store data. As such, you need to make sure you know how your company handles files and information, and if there’s a backup strategy already in place.
Additionally, you should figure out what data is essential to your business. Some information is more important than others, often in a way that any loss or disruption may result in a profound financial loss or even considerable damage to business continuity. That’s why you should assess which resources matter the most and who’s responsible for handling them. Pay attention to these three aspects: people, assets, and location. Knowing who’s responsible for what and where your important data is stored is key to developing an effective security plan.
Don’t neglect mobile security
Due to the development of technology, there are new ways to store data or even run a business. Modern smartphones have more processing power than early desktop computers. As such, it’s possible to have all the vital information on your phone and be able to run a business from almost anywhere in the world, as long as you have an internet connection.
Even if you can potentially fit your business in your pocket, your phone is a relatively vulnerable tool. That’s why you shouldn’t neglect mobile security, especially if you use your phone to make crucial business operations and keep your company going. If you don’t want to lose your data, make regular cloud backups, and keep your software up to date. You can also consider enabling user authentication and using a password manager.
Perform regular backups
Even though this practice seems relatively obvious, it’s actually often overlooked. However, failing to back up essential information regularly has extreme consequences. Studies show that 60% of businesses that suffer major data loss disappear within 6 months, and 72% close down within 2 years. Some research even indicates that 50% of companies file for bankruptcy almost immediately.
Given these statistics alone, it’s essential to ensure that your data is backed up off-site, as fires or flooding can easily destroy on-site servers. In case of emergency, the backup will come to the rescue, safeguarding your business against a significant loss.
Have a contingency plan
In case of a disaster, it’s essential to have a response plan ensuring your business continuity during and after a storm. Make sure your employees are safe, and you can easily reach emergency services if there’s a need. Have an evacuation plan, as well as the strategy to secure affected locations. Be prepared to run your business from a different place. To do this, you must be able to access company data off-site and resume all necessary operations. You can also consider buying an insurance policy that covers data loss due to a hurricane.
Also, keep educating your employees. Ensure they’re familiar with all the procedures in case of a disaster and know how to access necessary resources to keep the business going. You can test them or run drills to see if any part of your plan needs improvement.
The bottom line
During the hurricane season, many businesses take additional precautionary measures to protect themselves from any adverse situations. However, it would be best if you always remembered about data security regardless of the season. Your business relies on crucial information you simply can’t lose due to weather conditions.
Now you know what to do to keep your business data secure. Consider implementing these solutions always to be sure that all the essential information is protected, and your business will survive even the worst-case scenario.
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