Twitter and Facebook were both attacked with DOS (Denial of Service) attempts to bring the services to their knees. Yes, this is a disruption to many. Fortunately, the good people at Twitter and Facebook were able to repair the damage quickly and get service back up and running.
What does this mean for you? The only reason Twitter and Facebook were attacked was because they can get visibility and recognition for the bad guys perpetrating these schemes. It is a fact of life that we can’t avoid completely. How should you run your business in light of these attacks (and the threat of others in the future)?
Here are a few quick thoughts:
1. Be aware it can and will happen. You’re going to run into problems with any Net-based service. Recognize that. It is part of the real world today.
2. Have back-up plans. I don’t mean just backing up your computer data (as important as that is). Have alternate ways to get your message out. Multiple email accounts, phone messaging ability for important people, additional ways to access your website, etc. Be creative here and think through what can happen.
3. Have those disaster plans in place. Know what you’ll do in the event of likely events. This is important no matter what you do — but doubly important when you rely on computers, mobile phones, the Internet and more — like so much of our world does today.
4. Be patient. Usually these things are resolved in a short time. Twitter and Facebook were able to recover in a matter of a few hours. It makes a big news story but these guys know their stuff and are really, really good.
More will come in the future. For now, plan for your business to be there. And reach out to your customers to help them where they have these challenges. All of us will be better because of it.
Your thoughts? Please leave a comment below for others so they can benefit as well.
Thanks!
Terry
