Is Your Business Continuity Plan Robust Enough to Support Remote Work Scenarios?

Is Your Business Continuity Plan Robust Enough to Support Remote Work Scenarios?

Only a few years ago, the idea that half (or more!) of your staff could be working remotely was unlikely for most companies. Fast beyond 2020, and the reality that technology staff is facing is that of a long-term remote work situation. The solutions that many companies scrambled to be put into place during the stressful period early in 2020 may be strong or slowly breaking down.

Even the most robust remote work strategies are doomed to fail unless teams are able to pause and take the time to thoughtfully consider their business continuity scenarios. Everything from security to connectivity may seem like a slam dunk after spending the better part of a year ironing out any kinks, but is your business continuity strategy truly ready to withstand a bit hit in a world that overwhelmingly consists of remote workers?

Planning Ahead for Unexpected Scenarios

Even the simplest issues can become problematic when you consider a significant portion of work being completed outside the office on personal devices. Desktops that could easily be backed up with a stored procedure onsite suddenly become a danger zone. Even something as easy as restoring a hard drive from a backup can be a challenge without the right tools in place. When you see how long it takes to solve a simple scenario that involves remote workers, a truly urgent situation can feel overwhelming.

Fortunately, cloud-based business continuity solutions provide an added layer of protection against the dangers that are inherent in remote connections. The same tools that make it easy for workers to stay productive such as video chat can be immediately invalidated if there are significant upheavals in your infrastructure. Having a business continuity strategy written and up-to-date can mean the difference between a mad dash of confusion and an orderly return to business as usual.

Always Be Aware of Evolving Situations

One of the key challenges for remote work and business continuity is the loss of control that centralized IT departments face when their workers are no longer tethered to a physical location. After decades of enforcing onsite security measures, this can leave your current business continuity strategies feeling quite outdated. Refreshing the asset priorities, redefining roles and responsibilities and refining communication schedules helps bring new potential risks to light for your team — a vital step towards ensuring you are able to quickly and efficiently restore operations for your company.

From desktop-as-a-service to remote cloud backups, business continuity strategies have been forced to quickly evolve over the past several years. With no end to remote work in sight, many companies are still struggling to ensure that their base cybersecurity systems are in place — much less focusing on business continuity strategies. At Palindrome Consulting, we specialize in coming alongside your current IT team, offering insight into tools and training that will help you maintain business operations in the face of an unexpected event. Contact our team at 305-944-7300 to schedule a complimentary initial consultation with our team and see how an updated approach to business continuity can help reduce risk and ensure the ongoing vitality of your operations.