Hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th, and as Hurricane Ivan proved in September 2004, no business is completely safe from storm damage. Also worth considering are fire and a possible cyber-attack/virus. It is safest to be prepared and have a plan!
If disaster struck the Cayman Islands, or your organisation, what would your options be? Where could you go, and would your data be safe and properly backed up? Would you be able to move quickly and resume critical services elsewhere within a day or two?
Disaster recovery options can include preserving critical material and hard drives at a separate secure physical site, along with contracting access to a disaster recovery facility or resilient workspace in a structurally robust building designed to reduce exposure to hurricane-force conditions and flooding. Organisations should consider whether a facility can accommodate both personnel and critical systems, and whether it is supported by qualified IT and cyber security expertise. Cayman’s disaster recovery sector also includes secure storage offerings, including facilities that provide cold storage solutions for digital assets.
Some Cayman providers offer secure, resilient workspaces designed for privacy and continuity, with on-site storage for documents and critical items, and features such as advanced fire detection and gas-based fire suppression systems. Some facilities also provide amenities such as kitchen, shower and bathroom facilities, as well as 24-hour access and security monitoring.
At the national level, the Cayman Islands Government’s lead agency for disaster management is Hazard Management Cayman Islands (HMCI), which coordinates the national comprehensive disaster management programme and supports the National Emergency Operations Centre. This framework, together with the availability of private-sector business continuity and disaster recovery services, supports preparedness and recovery planning for a range of hazards.
