Florida Businesses: Is Your Tech Ready for the Next Hurricane?

Florida Hurricane Preparedness: Why Businesses Must Prioritize It

Those of us who live in Florida can’t forget the devastation caused by Hurricanes Milton and Eileen last year. The damage inflicted was immense. Lives were lost, property devastated and the economic damage is still difficult to fathom. This is why a hurricane preparedness assessment must be at the forefront for businesses across the state.

Residents in coastal communities up the Atlantic and in the Gulf know this experience all too well. And the story is the same inland, where tornados and fires seem to wipe out businesses and neighborhoods with increasing ferocity.

While none of us can control the weather, there is plenty that we can do to mitigate the impact of nature. That’s why James Moore Technology Services is offering free hurricane preparedness assessments to businesses in high-risk areas throughout the Southeast United States.

Our objective is to help our neighbors plan for and manage the effects of a major storm on their essential technologies and business processes. Through these evaluations, we can provide smaller companies with:

• Expert inspection of technology infrastructure
• Review of business applications and workflows
• Actionable insights and best practices
• Safeguard employees, customers, suppliers and stakeholders

How The Assessment Works

We have put a process into place that is simple and effective. James Moore conducts each assessment remotely through a video chat over a smartphone or tablet. Every session we conduct is secure and private; we can also record the evaluations so companies can revisit our suggestions.

During each assessment, there are three primary areas that we evaluate:

Physical Infrastructure

• Servers, cabling, computers, routers and other hardware
• Location of equipment to reduce flood and wind exposure
• Recommendations for relocation or re-cabling to protect from water intrusion

Business Applications

• Email, data storage and communication tools
• On-site applications: risks of prolonged downtime
• Cloud applications: risks if broadband or cellular fail
• Backup options for both deployment types

Work-related Processes

• Employee and customer notification procedures
• Remote work protocols
• Cybersecurity

The goal is for each company to maintain secure and reliable operations in the event of a storm.

Water Intrusion

One of the first steps in preparing for a storm is understanding the implications of water intrusion. The location and layout of the tech stack is crucial for reducing the impact of a hurricane. During the physical inspection, the James Moore team will want to see where hardware is located. As one can expect, servers and other essential equipment lying on the ground floor where water can easily penetrate is a disaster waiting to happen.

The assessors will also inspect cabling, the location of routers and their proximity to windows, doors and other vulnerable locations. From this inspection, our team can provide recommendations on potentially relocating equipment and re-cabling to mitigate the impact of a storm.

Reviewing Business Applications

Another important element of the assessment is an evaluation of essential business applications, such as email and voice communications, data storage and other productivity tools. The James Moore team will want to understand how these services are deployed — either on site or through a cloud service.

If a storm hits an area, the deployment model may determine if businesses services can still be utilized. Applications that are installed on site can be inaccessible for days, based on the severity of the storm. And even applications stored in the cloud can be unavailable if local broadband and cellular networks are disrupted. James Moore can offer guidance on back-up options for either deployment model, should a hurricane arise.

Internal Procedures

Along with understanding how a company’s tech stack is used, James Moore also evaluates internal business processes, such as emergency notification procedures, work-from-rules and protocols for using sensitive data in these environments.

Sadly, threat actors tend to come out of the woodwork during natural disasters, using these occurrences to launch cyberattacks or steal data. Businesses are still obligated to protect critical information whether a hurricane is imminent or not. The assessment is vital to help businesses ensure they have the proper solutions and processes in place to repel a cyberattack.

Hurricane Season Won’t Wait

Hurricane season is now upon us, and it is vital that businesses properly prepare for the impacts these storms bring. James Moore Technology Services is ready to assist our neighbors and offer no-cost hurricane preparedness assessment that will help small businesses prepare for the unexpected. Hurricane season won’t wait. Secure your free preparedness assessment today