We reckon that there are two big lessons for all of us that have resulted from the Optus outage.

Lesson 1 - Our dependence on functioning telephony and data networks

The breadth of the impact has been enormous and our dependence on all things digital will increase over time. The use of multi-factor authentication to verify your identity using your mobile phone made the outage even more impactful. Here are useful ideas we have collected in the last few days which will help reduce the impact of the next outage:

• Paul Budde’s recommendation that we should be able to roam on the network we normally do not use (pretend you’re overseas during the outage of your BAU provider).

• Great Vox article on ensuring you can survive if you lose access to your mobile.

Lesson 2 – Good crisis communications is critical

The importance of clear and effective crisis communications is essential to maintaining your good reputation. Even though Optus last year was subject to a major cyber-attack that impacted many customers, it has not improved its ability to communicate. Madonna King neatly sums up the essentials of good crisis communications management:

• Communicate quickly and stay on the front foot.

• Be clear and don’t sell.

• Be sincere.

• Be mindful of the impact on your stakeholders.

Incredibly, telcos are currently not part of the Federal Government’s Security of Critical Infrastructure Act (SoCI) !

Another interesting AFR article comparing the treatment of Optus and DP world in the press.

"Good feedback loops and data displays are critical. You have to start with data. If you can only quantify 10 percent of the problem right now, then start there. As more data comes in, you replace assumptions with knowledge. Then you need to apply your judgment.One of the most important things is keeping someone at your side who will challenge you to balance the quantitative and non quantitative inputs to your assessments, who will watch for gaps in your assessments."

Here's a curated list of suggestions to help with COVID-19 messaging in your organisation.

For employers:

• On a daily basis, clean surfaces that people touch.
• Provide ample supply of alcohol wipes and hand sanitisers in the office.
• If your office receives visitors, find a way to inquire whether they have possibly been exposed to COVID-19.
• Provide access to a Help Line for staff that are feeling anxious or want to report feeling unwell.
• Assure contractors and casual staff that they will be paid normally if they work from home (you don’t want them to turn up to work sick because they cannot afford the loss of income).
• The World Health Organisation has produced a very useful document for the workplace: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/getting-workplace-ready-for-covid-19.pdf?sfvrsn=359a81e7_6
• This is a useful Australian site: https://virologydownunder.com/so-you-think-youve-about-to-be-in-a-pandemic/

Instruct staff:

• To not touch their face with their hands.
• Wash their hands regularly and aggressively with soap and cold water.
• To avoid physical contact.
• To clean any shared desks, phones, keyboard and mouse with alcohol wipes.
• If you have been informed that you have been around someone who may have been infected, inform your manager Staff should stay home if they feel unwell.
• If they have flu-like symptoms, they should get tested for COVID-19 and report to their manager if they test positive.

For Travellers:

• Check SmartTraveller prior to travel, regardless of whether it is for business or personal travel – countries listed as DO NOT TRAVEL may impact your insurance.
• Employer to clearly identify which countries are subject to travel bans.
• Some staff may feel uncomfortable travelling anywhere overseas.
• Inform your Manager if you intend to travel for personal reasons.
• Travellers returning from overseas, may have to self-isolate on their return.

Here are some posters from WHO and others that can be printed and used around the office.

The handshake alternative

How to cough and sneeze

Hand washing best practice

Hand rubbing best practice

Business Cloud News | June 9

Nick Hawkins, Managing Director EMEA of Everbridge, discusses how in crisis situations organisations can use cloud-based platforms to communicate with employees anywhere in the world to identify which employees may be affected, communicate instructions quickly, and receive responses to verify who may be at risk.

Following recent negative headlines for social media, and Facebook in particular, Databarracks’ Peter Groucutt is warning organizations not to call time on their accounts. Social media is not just for promotion; during a crisis it is often your most effective communications medium.

“The best examples of crisis management comms on social media show that proactive engagement can generate goodwill and garner more patience from the public to rectify a situation. There are some simple steps an organization can take to prepare for social media communications during an incident. Read more

With the Equifax data breach continuing to make headlines, we're seeing yet further proof that the way you communicate in the aftermath of an incident plays a significant role in determining its ultimate impact. Executives responsible for cybersecurity need to understand how a good cyber communications function works, and they need to make it a regular part of any conversation related to information security or risk management.  Read more

Oracle Communications | December 2

Here's a great example of a Cloud-based application that will simplify your Business Continuity Planning.  There are of course, many other vendors that can offer this capability.  

Today, organizations require a collection of applications and devices to enable communication. At the same time, this disjointed array of communication methods can cause friction that inhibits business potential. In this webcast, learn about a unified communications platform that can enable improved collaboration capabilities.