Cyber Security

Hybrid Work for Government: Resiliency in Emergency Situations

August 16, 2023

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Hybrid work is a versatile work mannequin that mixes in-office, distant, and on-the-go working. It supplies the pliability to be impactful wherever work is completed. However, whereas the time period could also be comparatively new to many companies and organizations, the foundational operational components of hybrid work are usually not new to profitable, high-performing organizations.

The want to determine a resilient atmosphere that ensures the enterprise or mission continues to function even in occasions of emergencies, the place an emergency may vary from an ice storm that closes roads and workplaces to catastrophic occasions that demolish buildings or crucial infrastructure.
Based on availability and variety to maintain important capabilities, no matter the place these capabilities are carried out — in-office, distant, or cellular.

For these acquainted the phrases “Continuity of Operations,” it must be no shock, that the necessity to have the ability to agilely function in a resilient atmosphere to maintain continuity of crucial operations is a National precedence.

Presidential Policy Directive 40 (PPD-40) codified that “it is the policy of the United States to maintain a comprehensive and effective continuity capability through Continuity of Operations (COOP), Continuity of Government (COG), and Enduring Constitutional Government (ECG) programs, ensuring the resilience and preservation of government structure under the United States Constitution and the continuous performance of National Essential Functions (NEFs) under all conditions.” National continuity applications are primarily based on the continual efficiency of NEFs by sustaining important capabilities carried out by Departments/Agencies.

The Federal Continuity Directive 1 (FCD-1) helps implement PDD-40 by establishing the framework, necessities, and processes to help the event of continuity applications and by specifying and defining components of a continuity plan for federal govt department departments and businesses. [1]

Continuity of Operations (COOP) is an effort inside particular person organizations (i.e., Federal govt department departments and businesses) to make sure that Primary Mission Essential Functions (PMEFs) proceed to be carried out throughout a variety of emergencies, together with localized acts of nature, accidents, and technological or attack-related emergencies.[2] Federal Continuity Directive 1 (FCD-1) outlines 11 Continuity Capability Elements which are elementary to a profitable continuity program and that have to be addressed in Continuity of Operations (COOP) plans.[3] One of the crucial Continuity Capability Elements outlined within the directive is: “Communications and Information Systems.” Specifically, “the availability, diversity, and redundancy of critical communications and information systems are critical to sustain essential functions performed at primary and alternate locations including devolution locations as well as telework or mobile work environments. Communications and information systems provide the connectivity between and among key government leadership, internal elements, other organizations, and the public to perform essential functions. Telework and mobile work environments require use of portable telecommunications technology such as laptop computers, mobile telephones, and satellite communications equipment. (Ref: FCD-1).”

So why spotlight a number of Federal authorities directives? Because the overarching logic is sound. Governments, Companies, companies, and households must construct foundational resiliency to have the ability to function in a disaster…no matter that disaster could also be.

Having had the great fortune of working at Cisco for over 20 years, I’ve had the chance to expertise the advantages of a hybrid atmosphere personally. I labored at my mom’s home after her main surgical procedure, at my husband’s bedside after an accident, and from my sofa after my surgical procedure. From an organizational perspective, as an AF Reservist assigned to the Pentagon, we operated via 9/11. And at Cisco, we operated via COVID with out lacking a beat.

The ideas are acquainted, however the expertise essential to securely and agilely execute these ideas continues to quickly evolve, offering an much more seamless and efficient operational atmosphere connecting organizations and people throughout the globe. And in case your “standard way of doing business” is in an agile resilient context, then you definitely, your group, what you are promoting, and your nation can survive and thrive in no matter life sends your means.

Hybrid work isn’t about having the ability to do laundry whereas attending a convention name. Hybrid work is about extra successfully assembly operational necessities from an usually distributed and agile atmosphere each time and wherever wanted to proceed mission operations.