Beginnings Issue 8.pub - Planning Institute of Jamaica

P a g e 11 B eginnings I s s u e 8
Part II
Background
In our last issue In Focus excerpts of the proceedings of the
Central Information Technology Office (CITO)
Regional Summit to promote disaster preparedness through
the use of Information and Communications Technology
(ICT) were presented. The three-day Summit focused on
utilizing ICT to engender Business Continuity
Management (BCM) in light of the growing frequency of
natural disasters. The last issue looked at the issues of Event
Management and the Chief Risk Officer, Business Continuity
Plan and the Role of Business Impact Analysis. This quarter,
we conclude our two part story by looking at Local and
Wide Area Networks and Lessons Learned from
Regional Disasters
Local & Campus Communications: LAN/WAN/Voice
The importance of ensuring continuity in the operation of
Local Area and Wide Area Networks(LAN/WAN) was also
highlighted at the summitt. A local area network (LAN) is a
computer network covering a local area, like a home, office,
or group of buildings. On the other hand a wide area
network or WAN is a computer network covering a broad
geographical area. The largest and most well-known example
of a WAN is the Internet. WANs are used to connect local
area networks (LANs) together, so that users and computers
in one location can communicate with users and computers in
other locations.
The following factors, among others, were highlighted as
being of importance to maintenance of a LAN or WAN in
the event of a disaster:
• Power - The availability of power, reliable backup power
source is essential for faster recovery
• Hardware – equipment should be insured, vendors who
can quickly replace equipment should be identified. A
Contingency Operations Center should be established.
• Security – ensure that network rooms are made with
concrete roofs, with no windows and a reliable cooling
system
In Focus
Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Utilizing Information and Communication Technology
An Account of the Proceedings of the Central Information Technology Office (CITO) Regional Summit, May 2005
• Wiring – Ensure that building is wired with smoke
alarm systems. A label maker is essential for the labelling of
cables. A wiring diagram must be kept onsite (preferably
on the wall) as well as offsite. Keep an extra roll of the
most used cabling and keep cables off the floor. Where
telephone lines are concerned, know where lines aggregate
and which lines are yours where the service is shared.
Recovery – Ensure that there are regular network, voice
and data back-ups
Lessons Learned from Regional Disasters
This presentation focused on key areas to consider when
creating or updating business continuity plans with
reference to Hurricane Katrina and other major disasters.
Like other presentations, this also highlighted the
importance of ensuring staff welfare and safety in the event
of a natural disaster. Among the focus areas were:
• People – employees must be considered prior to,
during, and after an event
• Communication – the most reliable mode of
communication in a disaster must be determined be it
cell phones, email, home phones, cordless phones,
satellite phones
•
• Data Availability – utilize electronic media , store
backup data in multiple locations
• Plan Currency - crisis management plan must be kept
current. The plans should also be integrated with IT
and business. The plan should be tested annually.
• Insurance – understand risks, inventorize your assets
The conference was useful as it drew attention to the
importance of planning for a natural and man made
disasters in the context of information technology in the
business. It was also encouraging to see that local IT
businesses and young entrepreneurs attach a great level of
importance to the disaster management element of their
business function.