Fast-moving wildfires have engulfed the Los Angeles area of California, forcing the evacuation of more than 80,000 residents. In the Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst regions, nearly 5,000 acres have already burned as of Wednesday morning. Sadly, there have been two fatalities reported, and the fires, fueled by high winds and dry conditions, continue to pose a significant threat to lives and property.
While the safety of people remains the highest priority, business owners facing potential evacuation or disruption can take critical steps to protect their operations. For those who have not had to evacuate yet or who have some time before evacuating, proactive IT planning can help ensure that the continuity of their business isn’t another casualty of the disaster.
Charles IT, a Connecticut-based Managed Service Provider (MSP) and trusted cybersecurity advisor, is sharing key strategies to help businesses safeguard their data, infrastructure, and operations during emergencies like these wildfires.
Immediate Actions to Take Before Evacuating
When preparing to evacuate, businesses can take important steps to protect their operations while prioritizing safety.
Start by securing critical data. Back up all essential files to a secure cloud service or an offsite location far from the disaster zone to ensure they remain safe. Then, take a moment to verify that the backups are recent and complete, so you won’t face gaps in data recovery later.
Next, make sure your employees can work remotely if needed. Test VPN connections and remote desktop tools ahead of time to ensure your team can securely access the resources they need, no matter where they end up.
Don’t forget to activate cybersecurity measures to protect your systems while you’re away either. Geo-restricted access controls can help prevent unauthorized logins from unapproved locations, and enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all accounts ensures only the right people can access your data.
Another key step is safely shutting down equipment. Power down servers, computers, and other sensitive electronics to protect them from damage caused by power surges, smoke exposure, or physical harm.
Finally, when it’s safe to do so, communicate with stakeholders. Let clients, partners, and employees know about the situation and your plans to maintain business continuity. Open and clear communication goes a long way in keeping everyone informed and reassured during uncertain times.
During the Evacuation
When it’s time to evacuate, business owners can still take steps to protect their organization while prioritizing the safety of themselves and others.
One way to stay proactive is by monitoring IT systems remotely. Using remote monitoring tools, you can keep tabs on the status of your infrastructure, ensuring operations remain secure. To streamline this process, set alerts to flag any unusual activity.
Additionally, just as individuals want to stay informed about what’s happening in their neighborhoods, you should stay updated on how the disaster is impacting your organization. Depending on the location of your MSP or cybersecurity provider, you can rely on these partners for updates and ongoing support to help manage your operations during the emergency.
Post-Evacuation Steps: Backup and Disaster Recovery
Once the disaster, like a wildfire, is under control and no longer poses a life-threatening risk, businesses can begin post-evacuation steps focusing on backup and disaster recovery.
The first step is to assess the damage. Conduct a thorough inspection of your physical IT infrastructure once it is safe to return. Be sure to document any damaged hardware or connectivity issues you discover during the assessment.
Next, initiate your disaster recovery plan. This involves restoring data from backups to quickly resume operations. Your MSP can play a crucial role here, helping to verify the integrity of the restored data and ensuring everything is functioning correctly.
After recovery, it’s essential to re-evaluate your business’s cybersecurity. Run vulnerability scans to identify potential risks that may have arisen during the emergency. If any equipment was exposed or compromised, update passwords and access protocols immediately to safeguard your systems from hackers who could use a disaster to their advantage.
Finally, although it may be the most challenging step, document lessons learned. While no one wants to imagine facing another disaster, reflecting on this experience can help improve your disaster recovery and business continuity strategies for the future.
Conclusion
While ensuring the safety of people is always the top priority during any disaster, it’s still important for businesses to recognize the need to prepare for future emergencies. Just as you were taught as a child to have a home fire plan, having a plan for your business is crucial. Taking proactive steps now, or knowing what to do if disaster strikes, can make all the difference in protecting your business and the livelihoods of you and your employees.
One of the best ways to prepare is by partnering with a trusted MSP like Charles IT. MSPs play a vital role in pre-disaster planning by providing tailored Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR) plans designed to protect your data and minimize downtime. During emergencies, they offer 24/7 support, giving you access to a team of IT experts ready to assist with remote monitoring, recovery efforts, and keeping your systems secure.
From California to Connecticut, businesses are encouraged to contact an MSP for an assessment of their disaster recovery and IT security plans. Taking action now can save your business from devastating impacts later.
Don’t wait until it’s too late— protect your business from the unexpected today!
