Is your Data Center a Life Critical service?

[Grimlakin]

In today's climate that is a question all of us in IT need to be able to answer. We may have to go into the office to replace a failed component, physically restart a server, or any of the other mundane tasks that requires someone onsite to work on a server.

With that coming and being the case how can we answer that question.

I know that the company I work for and the servers I support are directly involved in the Life Safety of our customers. But I imagine if you're supporting servers for insurance billing, or online streaming... is that a critical service?

 

[Brian_B]

Depends if your employer is named GameStop

 

[Brian_B]

Joking aside, At least in California, IT is broadly considered critical infrastructure. It would be up to you, your client, and/or employer at that point if they want to additional restrict based on nature of the operation (which gets more to the OPs question).

I work in the Energy sector, it's also considered Critical. Most of my clients are also considered critical (mostly Ag/Food Production). Many of them are still operating but have asked all third parties and contractors to stay out. It's very much a play it day by day type of thing - Right now even for those clients we are still on site, but I am anticipating if things get worse that we may get asked to stay out for a few days, then something breaks, and we get asked to come in and fix it, then please leave again.

For California, I imagine New York is similar (the only other state right now with Mandatory Shelter-in-place)

Essential services that will remain open include:

• Gas stations
• Pharmacies
• Food: Grocery stores, farmers markets, food banks, convenience stores, take-out and delivery restaurants
• Banks
• Laundromats/laundry services

Essential state and local government functions will also remain open, including law enforcement and offices that provide government programs and services.

Full list of the 16 critical infrastructure sectors:

1. Chemical sector
2. Commercial facilities sector
3. Communications sector
4. Critical manufacturing sector
5. Dams sector
6. Defense industrial base sector
7. Emergency services sector
8. Energy sector
9. Financial services sector
10. Food and agriculture sector
11. Government facilities sector
12. Healthcare and public health sector
13. Information technology sector
14. Nuclear reactors, materials and waste sector
15. Transportation systems sector
16. Water and wastewater systems sector

California Lockdown Explained: What 'Stay at Home' Order Means for Locals

More than 25 million people across the state could be infected over the next eight weeks if no mitigation efforts are made, California Governor Gavin Newsom warned.

www.newsweek.com

 

[Space_Ranger]

My organization (Non-profit), isn't classified as "essential". I have to travel to the office every day to change backup tapes, as an LTO Auto-loader has never been in the budget.