How to Minimize the Impact of Disrupted IT

Michael R. Wood is a Business Process Improvement & IT Strategist Independent Consultant. He is creator of the business process-improvement methodology called HELIX and founder of The Natural Intelligence Group, a strategy, process improvement and technology consulting company. He is also a CPA, has served as an Adjunct Professor in Pepperdine's Management MBA program, an Associate Professor at California Lutheran University, and on the boards of numerous professional organizations. Mr. Wood is a sought after presenter of HELIX workshops and seminars in both the U.S. and Europe.

  Information Technology   Risk Management   Strategy  

Technology is great…until it isn’t there when you need it. Nothing ruins a work day more than being unable to do your job because IT systems are not available.

Yet the wider spread the disruption, the less annoyed and impatient most of us become. For instance, if the lack of availability is due to a disaster, most of us tend to tolerate the pain and annoyance. Conversely, if the disruption is limited to our own area—like our PC isn’t working, or our printer is jammed—we tend to let our angst be more widely known. Either way, when IT is disrupted, the real issue at hand is how fast the disruption will end.

IT systems are vulnerable to various disruptions that can materially damage a company's operations:

• One of the most common ways that IT systems can be disrupted is through cyber attacks. These attacks can take many forms, like viruses, malware, ransomware, and phishing scams. Cyber criminals use these tactics to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data or disrupt system operations.
• Another way that IT systems can be disrupted is through natural disasters such as floods, fires or earthquakes. These disasters can damage hardware and infrastructure, causing system downtime and data loss.
• Human error can also lead to IT system disruptions. Accidental deletion of critical files or misconfiguration of software settings can cause …

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