This text is based on an article at INC.com.
Crises and blackouts can and will happen
The problem in July 2024 hit a number of industries, some of which are not often associated with modern technology. This event showed the interconnected nature of today's world and, in part, the fragility of its network. No one can say for sure that such a situation will never happen again, whether it be an intentional attack, natural disaster or human error, as was the case in the Crowdstrike incident.
Events of 19th July showed the world that outages and crises can come at any time and unexpectedly. It is up to people, teams and businesses to prepare in advance for such scenarios.
How to prepare for similar scenarios in the future
- Be prepared to operate independently. Without wishing to anticipate any apocalyptic scenarios, the rule of thumb is that it is always better to be prepared. As a team or company, you should have crisis scenarios in place that will allow you to continue to operate and address the situation even if you temporarily lack outside support. You need to work on your autonomy.
- Have multiple channels of communication. In case of unexpected crises, it is a good idea to have several possible communication channels in reserve where you can shift communication within the team or company if one of the platforms goes down.
- Prepare scenarios and plans for crisis situations. Fortune favours the prepared. So take the trouble to prepare at least very general scenarios for unexpected crisis situations that might arise.
- Invest time, energy and other resources in securing your IT infrastructure. The Crowdstrike update problem showed how important it is to protect IT infrastructure. Today, to a greater or lesser extent, all businesses use modern technology and cannot function without it. Therefore, it is necessary to make these systems as secure as possible.
- Train staff. The be-all and end-all of a successful response to potential crises is trained staff. Ensure everyone understands the importance of cybersecurity and knows what to do if a system is partially degraded or an outsider attempts a cyberattack on the company.
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