As we enter the month of June, we also enter another Hurricane Season that will last through Nov 30th. This year, the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) has predicted an especially bad season with 13 -19 storms. Every year, we craft hurricane preparedness plans for both shelter and evacuation scenarios. A crucial part of this plan for you and your business should include your tech. Here are some things to think about.
Backups: If you find yourself in a situation where data could be lost due to weather, a backup is important to have. Some things to consider when choosing a backup plan include deciding if you want an onsite of offsite backup. Onsite can be quick, but offsite could be safer if your business is hit by weather. Another consideration is if you want a physical, cloud, or hybrid back up. These options break down to having an external hard drive or servers, or a combination of both. Make sure to plan for how long you are wanting to store your data as well. For more info and a look at the 3.2.1 rule, visit The Tek Blog.
Inventories: Having an inventory of your tech is important. This can help you not only keep track of what you have, but also help you stay up to date on your systems and workstation efficiency. Here at The Tek, we make a list of all of the computers, printers and servers our clients have, as well as keeping current with software updates and patches. Since we are monitoring systems 24/7, any updates and patches are done automatically.
Insurance policy: When hurricane season hits, it is smart as a business to prepare for the worst. This includes assuming you will be using your insurance policy. Make sure you are up to date on the process of submitting a claim and are aware of just what your policy covers. It is best to call your insurance company before a storm hits to get a clear understanding of your coverage and its limits.
Lack of power and internet: During a storm, you can lose power for many reasons, whether it’s a downed tree or lightning strike. To protect yourself and your tech, its important to have a surge protector and battery backup. Be mindful if your surge protector takes a big hit, it does need to be replaced before the next storm. It is also a smart move to unplug devices during lightning storms to avoid damage to them should lightning hit.
Phone systems: With the recent state of the world and COVID-19, we have all become accustomed to working from home and for the most part, have decent set ups. Having said that, when we do return to our offices, it is important to still have a severe weather plan in place if your phone systems in the office. Many companies use a combination of a desktop phone or an app on their computer AND an app on their cell phone. All of these options connect to a phone system that is in the cloud. A UCAAS (Unified Communication As A Service) is a general service that mirrors what is happening in your office. So, when there isn’t power and your system goes down, a UCAAS will auto-failover to your employees cell, making it appear as if all calls are coming from the office.
Remember to always have a plan in place and proper supplies to keep you and your family safe and healthy. Many national and state resources exist for more information about hurricane safety beyond the tech sector. You can find printable NC guides in Spanish and English here at ReadyNC.
Have questions regarding hurricane tech safety tips? Drop us a line at Solutions@thetek.com
