Is Your Business Prepared for Coronavirus?

Would your employees know what to do if you and half of your workforce contracted coronavirus (COVID-19) in one day?

A situation like this sounds extreme, but the reality is they happen. Disasters are often unexpected. Right now our world is focused on the global outbreak of coronavirus. As it spreads, many are left wondering how it will affect our everyday lives. And while most are being proactive about their personal health, it’s just as important to prepare for how businesses could be affected by an incident like this. Businesses in China have already seen an economic impact from coronavirus, as operations for many Asian businesses have shut down to try and contain the spread of the illness. In fact, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development even predicts that China’s gross domestic product will decrease this year by 0.5%. And while the spread of the virus could impact America, there are steps we can take to keep it from completely shutting down our businesses.

There are two specific proactive plans that can make the difference in uncertain times like these. An Incident Response Plan (IRP) is made up of clear instructions for how staff should respond to and recover from a security breach. A Disaster Recovery Plan is a set of business-wide instructions and policies that inform a business’ workforce in the case of a disaster. Both exist for the sake of business continuity in uncertain situations. 

The outbreak of coronavirus is an excellent reminder to have an IRP and a DRP in place for your business. None of your employees should be left wondering what to do in the case of a business-wide incident. At The IT Company, we can help your firm or business create a thorough IRP and DRP that ensures business continuity, no matter the situation.

Some of the characteristics we take into consideration when writing IRP and DRP plans are:

• Who needs to know when a disaster or incident has occurred?
• When do these individuals and companies need to be contacted?
• What will you need most to get your business back up and running?
• What partner companies or vendors will you call on to get the supplies or help you need?
• What happens if half of your workforce couldn’t come to work one day?
• Who would take over and support your business if you were unable to work?

When preparing an IRP and DRP, we work with you and your firm or business to create a personalized plan that will work in multiple scenarios. After the plan is completed, we test it with you and your workforce to ensure that it works in the ways that you need it to most. It’s crucial that your business has an IRP or DRP in place with clear communication plans, so when a crisis does occur, it will have minimal effects on your ability to move forward and recover. 

Remember, we seldom have time to prepare for a natural disaster or incident before it happens:

• In 2005, the people and businesses of Louisiana weren't expecting the devastation that Hurricane Katrina brought with it
• In 2012, New York and New Jersey weren’t expecting the devastation that Hurricane Sandy brought in its wake
• In 2017, no one expected three different hurricanes to cause almost 300 billion dollars worth of damage across the Eastern U.S. and Caribbean

Take the time today to plan ahead. Some of the most devastating incidents and disasters are completely outside of our control, but there are steps we can take to ensure our business’ are equipped to continue on with success. 

If you’re interested in finding out more about how we can help you create an IRP and DRP for your firm or business, get in touch with us today. You can connect via live chat online at any time, or email us at sales@theitco.net.