CASTRIES, ST LUCIA – In the Caribbean region, many organisations are without a formal structured plan to protect and recover their information management systems after a natural disaster. Micro and small businesses are particularly vulnerable, as few possess the in-house capacity to develop necessary plans.

"Just as with your home and personal property, the best defense for protecting your business is preparedness and having a disaster recovery plan in place to ensure your business remains operational in the event of an emergency or natural disaster. Many of us make preparations for our families and our homes in case of emergencies, but are the same preparations being made for Caribbean businesses?" pointed out Bevil Wooding, Programme Director for the Caribbean Network Operators Group (CaribNOG).

Wooding was addressing a gathering of information managers and network administrators in a session dedicated to disaster-planning approaches at a recent CaribNOG regional gathering in Castries, St Lucia. He highlighted the need for effective disaster recovery plans, which include the involvement of management, technical staff and technology suppliers.

"Data is the life-blood of any organisation, of any size. As we move more data to computer and Internet-based systems, we must pay greater attention to how that data is protected against serious threats, which can range from hacking to hurricanes," Wooding said.

He added, "Disaster-readiness incorporates preparations for not only those major calamities such as severe weather or earthquakes, but also for common occurrences caused by incidents such power outages or equipment failure, which can wreak havoc if protective measures aren’t in place."

Over 100 technology practitioners from more than 10 Caribbean countries gathered for the event, which was held in collaboration with the Caribbean Telecommunications Union’s Caribbean ICT Roadshow and with the support of the Government of St Lucia. The four-day CaribNOG event drew over 100 technology practitioners from across the Caribbean, including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, Guyana, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago.

Wooding stated, "Given the significance of small and medium enterprises to Caribbean economies, we felt that CaribNOG needed to go beyond the theory of disaster preparedness. We presented participants with practical tools, checklists and that they can now take into their organizations. We trust that these resources will help information system managers strengthen the resilience of Caribbean organisations."

The CaribNOG gathering, which targeted regional technology professionals and enthusiasts and provided fertile ground for high-tech discussions and hands on training. Regional and international experts tackled topics such as protecting regional networks from computer hacker attacks and designing disaster-ready systems. Sessions were also dedicated to discussing the economic considerations for establishing Caribbean Internet Exchange Points and building out voice-over-IP (VoIP) networks.