Cyber security and disaster recovery.

• Author: Colby, Nicole A. Bonham
• Position: TELECOM & TECHNOLOGY

When an island-wide, three-plus-hour fluctuating blackout struck Ketchikan and vicinity in June, business owners and residents alike got a first-hand reminder about the need for adequate data-protection and disaster-recovery measures.

Such protections, along with adequate cyber security measures, are a must-have for any business these days, regardless of its size. The value of a company's data has become, in many cases, its greatest asset--whether it be email history, electronic client records, or accounting systems. A damaged hard drive or hacked corporate email account can take on the significance today of the business fire of yesteryear.

Backups for Blackouts

When routine maintenance work underway at the Swan Lake hydroelectric dam in Southeast Alaska inexplicably triggered an avalanche of energy loss across the Ketchikan grid on the morning of June 18, business owners citywide were left largely inoperable--except for those who had planned ahead for such an event and had adequate physical-plant and electronic-data protection measures in place.

The initial breaker that popped open that day carried 9 megawatts of power from Tyee dam. The event triggered a load-shed effect so significant that the entire island eventually experienced a widespread outage. Businesses catering to thousands of cruise ship tourists in town that day went dark. Some restaurants shut their doors. Electronic banking functions ceased. Workers city wide who were, moments earlier, busily typing away on their computers saw their office lights go off and any unprotected desktop machines grind to a halt.

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That said, for others--those who worked at companies that had the forethought to invest in adequate data protection systems--the rhythmic "beep, beep, beep" of battery backup systems and Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems indicated that business could continue almost uninterrupted for the time necessary to shut down critical systems and prevent damage from power bumps. For others, the additional protection of a diesel generator ensured business as usual.

Disaster Recovery

Information security experts are frequently heard to say that the best disaster recovery program is one where any disaster is visualized and planned for beforehand, minimizing the need for subsequent "recovery." Such "disasters" may include the threat of physical impact, such as the power outage experienced recently in Ketchikan, or more mundane and routine threats, such as...