Key Takeaways
- Establish your IT continuity plans. Determine what is necessary to maintain business continuity and then create a plan to mitigate those risks. Review the plan on a regular cadence.
- Implement resilient backup protections. Secure your critical data by using both on-site and off-site backup solutions that are automatically synced and periodically verified.
- Partner with a trusted MSP. Collaborate with Net Friends who can support your IT preparedness, perform system provisioning and monitoring, and assist in recovery.
Protect Your IT Systems Before the Storm Hits
When a hurricane strikes, or any other severe weather event, there is a greater risk for prolonged disruptions. While most organizations have plans to protect their physical assets, many overlook safeguarding IT infrastructure.
From servers, connectivity, and employee workstations, your technology stack is vulnerable to power outages, flooding, and physical destruction. Without a well-prepared plan in place, a single severe weather event could result in extended downtime, lost revenue, and irreversible data loss.
Storm readiness preparations will equip your business with safety protocols and a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) to respond quickly to threats posed by adverse weather, including the specific challenges presented by water.
Download our FREE 2025 Hurricane IT Preparedness Checklist
1. Assess the Risks
What if your business faced a complete technology shutdown? Imagine your employees are unable to work, or even a simple internet outage. For any business, a hurricane or severe storm can trigger these disruptions and more. The crucial first step is to consider all the potential impacts. Next, assess the likelihood of such an event affecting your business. It is easy to dismiss the risk, but preparing for the unexpected is vital.
2. Business Continuity Planning
Once you've identified the potential risks to your business, the next crucial step is to document your response strategy. This is typically laid out in a Business Continuity Plan (BCP), which serves as a roadmap to ensure your business can continue essential operations during and after a disruption.
As you develop your BCP, consider these key questions:
- How will you mitigate your greatest risks?
- Who will be responsible for each specific task and decision?
- What is your communication plan to keep employees, customers, and stakeholders informed?
Net Friends Pro-Tip: To prepare for severe weather, hold an annual meeting with stakeholders to assess business risks and develop mitigation strategies for identified vulnerabilities.
3. Backups and Data Protection
Think of your backup solutions as a lifeboat for your business data, there to ensure your information is protected and up-to-date in a disaster. Storing data offsite and in the cloud can help you restore operations no matter what happens to your physical location.
Don't forget to optimize your server room or network closet. Keep it clean and well-organized, with all equipment elevated off the floor to protect against floods and other environmental hazards. Additionally, safeguard your systems from surges and brief power outages by investing in reliable battery and power supply systems.
Net Friends Pro-Tip: For an extra layer of security, encrypt your backups to help ensure their safety and integrity.
4. Remote Access
Ensure your business continuity plan includes provisions for remote access, allowing staff to connect to essential systems from anywhere. This involves validating your VPN, remote desktop services, and cloud collaboration tools. Consider implementing failover strategies to cloud environments for critical operations, guaranteeing uninterrupted service even if your primary infrastructure is compromised.
Net Friends Pro-Tip: Regularly test your remote access solutions and cloud failover plans, to ensure your tools work as expected and your team is familiar with the process.
5. Power Continuity and Redundancy
Maintaining uninterrupted power is a critical step. Implement and regularly test Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) for critical equipment to bridge short power interruptions. For extended outages, backup generators are essential. Regularly testing your backup power systems and having a clear fuel management plan are crucial components of your business continuity strategy.
Net Friends Pro-Tip: A UPS protects and extends the life of your devices by protecting against power surges that happen even when there is no storm activity.
6. Establish Your Communication Plan
Communicating to your team during an emergency is critical during a disruption. Establish a clear internal communication tree utilizing multiple channels such as email, phone, and SMS to ensure all employees receive timely updates and instructions. Ensure availability of all emergency contacts for staff and key stakeholders.
Designate a specific individual or team responsible for determining the messaging for both internal and external audiences. This includes deciding when and how to contact clients, informing them of any service interruptions or changes in operations, if necessary.
Proactive coordination with your IT service providers, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and other key vendors is essential to understand their response capabilities and expected restoration times.
Net Friends Pro-Tip: The best time to work on a communication plan for a disaster is when you are not in the middle of one!
7. Test Your Plan
Your plan is only as effective as its last test. Regular and comprehensive testing ensures your plan is viable, up-to-date, and that your team is prepared to execute it. Conduct annual testing of your BCP.
Consider various testing methodologies, from tabletop exercises where key stakeholders walk through hypothetical scenarios, to more in-depth simulations that mimic actual disruptions.
During these tests, focus on:
- Identifying gaps in your plan or resources.
- Assessing the effectiveness of communication protocols.
- Confirming staff roles and responsibilities are clear and understood.
- Verifying the functionality of backup systems, remote access tools, and failover procedures.
The insights gained from testing are invaluable. Use them to refine and update your BCP.
Net Friends Pro-Tip: Make sure to review your property insurance coverage for your business to verify that coverage will be in place in case of disaster.
8. Recovery Steps
Once safe, focus shifts to recovery. Conduct a thorough damage assessment and activate your pre-assigned recovery teams. Prioritize restoring critical business functions, including data and system restoration from backups. Re-establish all internal and external communication channels. Do not forget to promptly file insurance claims.
Net Friend Pro-Tip: Conduct a post-mortem review to learn from the experience and refine your Business Continuity Plan for the future.
Download our FREE 2025 Hurricane IT Preparedness Checklist
"The storm put us on backup generators. The good news: our IT system is up and running thanks to the Net Friends team!" - Director of IT at Lincoln Community Health Center
Preparation is Critical
As you prepare for the challenges ahead, remember that knowledge is the most potent tool at your disposal. Have a look at:
- Our FREE 2025 Hurricane IT Preparedness Checklist
- Visit ready.gov for critical state-specific facts to refine your hurricane preparedness, correspondence, and post-storm approaches.
- Contact Net Friends today to discuss how to improve your business resilience.
It is easy to assume your business is immune to disaster, yet with increasingly intense storms, a severe thunderstorm could bring unexpected flooding or sewer backups right to your doorstep. The good news is, the very process of preparing for such weather events also strengthens your defenses against other threats, like a cybersecurity incident. Investing time in creating a comprehensive Business Continuity Plan (BCP) is time well spent, safeguarding your business from a wide range of disruptions. If you need help creating your plan, contact one of our IT Experts.
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More Reading:
- Is Crisis Communication Part of Your Cybersecurity Toolbox?
- Managed Backups: Your Custom-Fitted Parachute for Data Safety
- Is Your VPN Solution Optimized for Anywhere Operations?
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At Net Friends, we believe in the power of human expertise. While we leverage AI to enhance our content and processes, all blog posts are written and edited by our knowledgeable staff. You can trust you are getting insights directly from our team.