Security lessons from Katrina

Security lessons from Katrina
Mark Rasch, 2005-09-12

In the waning days of August, a massive category 5 hurricane devastated the gulf coast of the United States, particularly devastating the city of New Orleans. In addition to the estimated $50 billion in property damage, clean-up and reconstruction costs, and the hundreds of likely dead, and tens of thousands displaced, the hurricane and its aftermath have disrupted businesses throughout the southern United States. From this disaster, there are a few lessons IT staff, and IT security staff, as well as senior management should learn. The sad thing is that many won't take these lessons to heart.

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What lesson would that be? 2005-09-13
Anonymous

I was expecting a discussion regarding off site backups, failover infrastructure, emergency power supply and the overall state of security in regards to the worlds data. Something about restoring life saving services within the effected area maybe. Instead, you compare IT security to a devastating s...

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Security lessons from Katrina 2005-09-13
Ramki B

Sure we need to plan for things like Katrina, but i see lot of enterprises already serious about security. Maybe Small & medium Biz. need to wake up now, but others have already got the alarm......

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Security lessons from Katrina 2005-09-13
Anonymous

even if your disaster recovery plan is perfectky tested what about the fact that your people are more worried by their family, their home and their food than their work!
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Security lessons from Katrina 2005-09-15
Peter B

It's a perfectly appropriate time to consider this impact, I think. While some may argue that the human factor is more important, and for those directly affected it is, considering corporate viability makes perfect sense and is important for people following a disaster as well.

Even if a corporat...

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Security lessons from Katrina 2005-09-16
Anonymous

this is where the 200 mile rule comes in. You must have someone 200 miles away that can take over so that the affected employees can deal with their families....

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Security lessons from Katrina 2005-09-18
Sreehari Padmanabhan

Excellent points from Mark through this note. Time and again fundmentals needs to be revisited by Organizations and dependencies/roles & responsibilities shall be clearly documented and relevant personnel educated as a program.

Sreehari...

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Risk management 101 2005-09-19
Oofus Funnybutt III

I have yet to hear any profound scenarios from Katrina that shouldn't already have been enumerated as part of any standard disaster planning. Ensuring that municipalities on every level have completed a thorough risk assessment and disaster planning is so fundamental that I have to wonder where the...

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Security lessons from Katrina 2005-09-21
Anthony LAI, CISSP, CISA

I always believe "prepare for the worst", however,it is hard for companies with little budget to think of it.

At least, they should keep making a copy of those important documents to locate them to other place. Meanwhile, purchasing insurance with explicit compensation for disaster is also advis...

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Security lessons from Katrina 2005-09-21
Javier Romero

Although, it could be hard to say it, for the people who lived the suffering: this kind of events teach to the rest of us. And in some sense, it is part of the life to build the rules of safety based on the hardest events. We all win after that, although, the cost means disappeared lifes and hurt ec...

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