Severe Weather IT Preparedness

Ryan Real, Public Information Coordinator
September 12, 2018

Severe weather can strike at any time. With that in mind, here are some tips to follow that can help protect you and your technology. Also, be sure to follow instructions at ready.gov for general disaster preparedness.

Update your my.Clemson information

Be sure that your information is up-to-date in my.Clemson, including your CU Alert Number and your emergency contact information. To view and modify this information, visit my.clemson.edu or use the my.Clemson app, click on your photo, and click “My Profile.”

To get CU Safe Alerts on your phone, follow these instructions.

Familiarize yourself with Clemson University’s safety information

Clemson.edu/cusafety will update with safety information throughout Hurricane Irma (as well as @CUSafety on Twitter), including detailed messages and weather advisories. The page also includes an Emergency Preparedness section, featuring “Severe Weather” and “Campus Emergency Communications” tab.

Backup your data

It’s always a good idea to consistently back up your data. As a member of the Clemson community, you have free cloud storage with Google Drive, Box and OneDrive. All of these should still be accessible in the event of severe weather at Clemson. Make sure to keep copies of frequently used documents in addition to regular backups.

What happens if Clemson applications are down?

The CCIT status page at status.ccit.clemson.edu is hosted off-site and should remain accessible, as should the CCIT website at ccit.clemson.edu. We will continue to post updates to university systems on the status page with information regarding possible service interruptions, as well as posting updates to the official CCIT Twitter account at @ClemsonIT.

Other general preparedness tips:

• Extend the battery life of your devices by:
  • Turn off Wi Fi when not in use.
  • Turn off Bluetooth.
  • Dim your screen.
  • Turn off push notifications from unnecessary apps.
• Keep wireless devices charged at all times, and keep a back-up battery on hand. Consider car or solar chargers for your devices as well.
• Keep your devices dry. If you don’t have a waterproof case, Ziploc and similar bags will work well also.
• Don’t turn your tablet or phone on and off to preserve battery life. Your device will use more energy powering back up than in sleep/rest mode.
• After the storm and the power is back on, wait until there are no blackouts or surges before plugging your equipment back in. Be sure that critical equipment has an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) attached.
• After natural disasters, cybercriminals often try to take advantage of those impacted and trying to provide relief efforts. Whether through email or social media, protect yourself against scams and cyberattacks using a few simple tips:
  • Pay attention to the URL of the websites you visit. Malicious websites may look identical to a legitimate site, but the URL may use a variation in spelling or a different domain (for example: .com vs. .net).
  • Be suspicious of unsolicited phone calls, visits, or email messages.
  • Do not reveal personal or financial information in email, and do not respond to email solicitations for this information.
  • Do not follow unsolicited web links in email messages or open any attachments.