Prepare Your Business Technology for Hurricane Season

Hurricane season has begun and many Texans know that it’s time to prepare our homes and buy emergency supplies. Even if we’re located inland and safe from direct strikes, we know that flooding and tornadoes can still take their toll.

You may already be prepared at home, but have you considered the importance of preparing your business’ technology and data? Hopefully so, as your technology and data can be extraordinarily costly to replace if they’re lost or damaged.

Here are a few steps to get you started.

Data

Backup your data frequently. Hurricane season is a good preparedness reminder, but it shouldn’t be the only time you think about readiness. Ensure that backups are made and stored in a secure location year around to protect yourself from a variety of bad scenarios.

Consider storing your important and irreplaceable workplace data in the cloud. The hardware for cloud storage is in a physically secure place that is monitored 24/7, kept secure from environmental catastrophes and human intruders.

If you’re using your own local storage device, be sure to use encryption or biometric authentication to keep it safe. Redundancies lower the risk of physical destruction, but increase the risk of physical theft or a data security breach. Whether the data is personal or workplace-related, it’s important to keep it in a secure location and have the necessary encryption to keep hackers at bay.

Devices

Your computers, servers, and other equipment are expensive and crucial to running your business. Keep them safe from a hurricane by moving them away from windows and other areas vulnerable to wind, rain, or debris. If possible, move equipment to a closet or other windowless room, away from exterior walls.

Electronic devices should never be placed on the floor, as flooding will ruin the devices unless they’re placed in rugged, waterproof containers. Be sure all electronics are completely unplugged from power sources and consider wrapping them in plastic bags to prevent water damage. If your devices are exposed to water, they may need to be cleaned and dried by a professional water restoration service before being used.

Downtime is costly to any business, but it can be avoided with the right mindset and timely action. Contact us today so we can help you complete your preparations and maintain business continuity through any disaster.

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