Hurricane / Disaster Preparation - For Business / IT

Here is a list that appears on the ISC website (part of the SANS Institute) detailing crucial IT preparation items that need to be addressed when facing an emanating hurricane disaster threat, or any threat for that matter, natural or otherwise:

Local IT staff
- Work with local building management to coordinate building shutdowns. Be aware that most buildings will begin shutdown procedures when a Hurricane Warning is issued. (If they say power is going off at 1:00 pm that means power is shutdown at that time not that they are starting to shutdown.) Coordinate with firm wide IT to begin systems shutdown 30 minutes prior to building shutdowns.
- Work with local managers and share any information with Firm wide IT.
- Loaner laptops should be issued to key personnel that do not have laptops.
- Keep a loaner laptop that contains Ghost images for desktops/laptops.
- Ensure you have updated your contact information in the IT Contacts.

Firm wide IT
- Perform a full backup of all systems 4 days prior to the impact of the storm unless already scheduled. Have backups sent off site. (Be aware that UPS, FedEx, etc will stop shipments prior to the hurricanes impact.)
- Perform incremental backups every night prior to storm and have them sent off site.
- Perform Full backup prior to storm impact if possible. Have local IT retain control.
- Once building power is shutdown redirect the main numbers for the affected offices to an offsite voicemail box. (This eliminates busy signals and you can notify clients of the offices' status.)
- Update Office Closure hotline as the situation changes.
- Update Intranet with Hurricane updates for offices in unaffected regions.
- Prepare alternate procedures for the firm wide helpdesk.
- Get any necessary equipment into or out off the offsite datacenters. (Be aware the datacenter will not allow access 48 hours prior to the storm making landfall in the area and will not resume until the local authorities have deemed it safe to travel)
- Wrap critical systems that are located in the affected offices in plastic to help reduce water damage.

Here is a list of governmental hurricane/disaster preparation resources that was also included on the same page:
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/safety/tips/tornado.shtm
http://www.fema.gov/hazards/hurricanes/whatshouldido.shtm http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/prepare/supply_kit.shtml
http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/action.html
http://www.weather.gov/om/hurricane/index.shtml
http://www.epa.gov/naturalevents/wwtptips.html

See our prior Emergency/Disaster blog articles:
Emergency / Disaster - National Help Resources
Emergency / Disaster - New Jersey - Help Resources

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