In light of the mayhem around Atlanta and around the world, let’s be real. Running a company is not just about watching the market. We have seen our fair share of attacks from the elements as well as attacks by cyber criminals, and it is clear that businesses face many more challenges than one thinks when they open their first lemonade stand. Fret not, though, because along with a multitude of challenges comes a multitude of solutions to stamp them down! Let’s look at recent events and discuss how your business can keep running over these hurdles.
The Challenges
I. Natural Disasters and their lesser relatives
Atlanta may not lie in tornado valley, but this spring we certainly saw a number of rough storms, claiming power lines, trees, roads, and some of your employees no doubt. Sometimes it not as simple as taking another route to work when it comes to complicated city streets, and any of these mishaps could destroy your plans and productivity for days. Simply unacceptable!
II. Infrastructure Struggles
We all know what this one means (Hint: the infamous I-85 collapse perhaps?). If blocking a few streets can cause mayhem, we can all imagine – in fact we’ve all seen – what a major highway malfunction can do. Anyone who drove past I-85 near the Buford Highway exit surely witnessed the excruciatingly-slow blanket of cars trying to wedge into the city. That kind of traffic causes more than a 15 minute late start, as well as highly inconvenient route alternatives (let us all be thankful for our surprisingly quick deliverance).
III. Cyber Attacks
Corporate cyber attacks are no longer distant boogeymen. It is becoming alarmingly commonplace to hear of consumer data being stolen or another major organization held hostage by remote hackers, and to say that the predicament is complicated and unpleasant is quite the understatement. To name a few of the recent strikes, the New York Post app was hacked on April 1st, releasing a slew of fake news (hot phrase there), ABCD Pediatrics is still dealing with the aftereffects of its major ransomware attack, ten seasons of Netflix’s show Orange is the New Black were stolen and released, and even the IRS was hacked, compromising thousands of accounts (heaven forbid we pay more taxes). It is clear that although we live in the age of computers, our security has not quite caught up, and that means trouble for an unprepared business.
The Solutions
Natural Disasters and Infrastructure Struggles
Obviously we can’t stop the clouds from conspiring against us, and no one can predict highway accidents, but you can take preemptive measures to face these mishaps. Plenty of people dream of working from home, but even if that is not the modus operandi of your company, having a solid infrastructure for remote working in case of emergencies can make your life much easier. If you set up protocol for such situations and clearly communicate them with employees, you won’t have to lose days of work, no matter how bad the disaster.
Remote working is great, but you will still be tearing out your hair if you end up starting from scratch on a project. Never underestimate the importance of backups! And don’t be stingy either – back up your servers and all your data, but also back up your plans and progress markers. Remember: deleting is optional, but restoring from nothing is impossible.
Cyber Attacks
Fortunately, not everyone is sleeping on the encroaching threat of hackers, and Netwise is on top our game! Check out our article on Ransomware to get all the details on how to protect your company from such attacks.
We all know, life happens, and your business will hide to ride the turbulent surf many times, but you are not alone. We at Netwise are here to help you implement protective measures or recuperate from crushing blows, so don’t hesitate to give us a call. Check out our Twitter and Facebook for more tech tips.
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