Security and Privacy Guidelines for IT Operations Under Pandemics and Epidemics

Abstract

Deteriorating health conditions under a pandemic force governments and authorities to consider enforcing lockdown protocols to limit the spread of a disease. Once a lockdown protocol is enforced, many verticals are instantly impacted by the lack of available workforce and other issues. Critical infrastructures, information systems, integrated IT systems cannot be administered using existing guidelines/standards under a pandemic. Thus organizations, governments, enterprises, and economies are ill equipped to deal with IT and economic issues emerging as a result of a pandemic. This chapter explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on IT systems, IT operations, and security. This chapter calls attention to the lack of preparedness, absence of standards and protocols that deal with epidemics and pandemics. Thus, considering the changing organizational posture, this chapter brings to light opportunities for redressal, and recommendations have been made to ensure better preparation in the future.