Why Preplan for IT Emergencies?

Today most businesses heavily rely on technology to run smoothly. Companies invest billions of money in IT infrastructure, both hardware and software, and IT personnel. Therefore, it would be reckless for such companies to fail to invest in a protection plan for the IT systems in case of an emergency.

IT emergencies are any threats that jeopardize the security of your IT system, infrastructure, and data. These threats can be natural disasters such as floods, fires, and power outages. Physical security challenges such as break-ins, theft, and tampering are also threats. The most common IT emergencies today are cyber-attacks such as malware, viruses, Denial of Service, and phishing.

IT emergencies can cause significant damage to any business such as data loss and compromise. Just as you probably have a plan of how to respond in case of a fire emergency, your company should preplan for IT emergencies. Statistics from the National Archives and Records Administration show that 93% of companies that experience IT emergencies for more than 10 days file for bankruptcy within 12 months.

Here are some reasons why your company should preplan for IT emergencies:

1. Gives Clear Instructions When an Emergency Happens

A comprehensive IT emergency preplan should have specific protocols for every potential problem. This will be very helpful when it comes to troubleshooting and problem-solving in case of an emergency.

Preplanning for an IT emergency involves coming up with a concrete plan on what to do and how to act in case an attack or disaster happens. It also outlines who should do what.

The emergency preplans might involve some detective measures that aim to detect any vulnerabilities in your system and the potential harm they pose to the system. When forming the emergency plan it is important to think of preventive measures to ensure that vulnerabilities and human errors don’t compromise the system or network. This also involves regular and secure data backups for quick recovery in case of an emergency.

2. Prevent Downtime

As we’ve mentioned above, IT emergencies range from natural disasters to cyber-attacks to human errors. These threats can affect either the hardware or the software in your IT system causing a failure of your system or network. As a result, your network experiences downtime denying your clients access to your services. Downtimes also lower employee productivity.

Your company should have a clear and outlined emergency plan on what to do in case of downtime. This can be instructions on what to do in case of a hardware or software failure. Or eleven having a designated team of experts trained and ready to handle such an emergency. This preparedness will reduce the amount of time that your systems will go down in case of an attack, be it a natural disaster or a cyber-attack.

3. Prevent Revenue Loss

IT emergencies and disasters can cause significant losses in a company. Downtime in case of an attack or a disaster leads to low employee productivity. Clients also are unable to access your services which as result can lead to a significant loss in income revenue. It can also be very costly to repair and replace damaged infrastructure after a disaster.

The good part about pre-planning for IT emergencies is that it is a guide on how to get the system back up and running in the least possible time. This will reduce the downtime hence minimizing revenue losses due to low employee productivity and income loss from the denial of service on the customers’ end.

4. Have a Provider That Can Respond Quickly

Some companies outsource their IT services from well-organized IT and Managed Service Providers (MSP). Hence, no in-house IT department. Therefore, it is important to have an emergency strategy with your service provider to ensure that it takes the least possible time to respond in case of an emergency. It is also important to have in your plan how long it can take to restore data and services in case of an attack. Having a pre-plan will help your company choose the best and most readily available service provider.

5. Avoid Legal Conflicts

Most IT emergencies can lead to data loss. As you already know, data is very crucial in today’s business world. In some cases, this data can land in the wrong hands. Companies are bound to comply with data protection and governance regulations. So, if client data and information land in malicious hands, the company can face serious legal consequences.

Therefore, your company should come up with a data protection and recovery plan in case of any emergency. Your plan should be accurate, precise, and efficient to prevent the loss of confidential data. This will prevent legal conflicts with clients and governing bodies.

Preplan for IT Emergencies with Bastionpoint Technology

Bastionpoint is a renowned IT Support and Management company with years of experience and a vast client base. We provide high-quality IT support and services with client needs, satisfaction, and proper communication at the core of our services.

Reach out to us and get an IT emergency plan tailored to suit your business.