PERSPECTIVES FROM THE CAMPUS
One of the strengths of Indiana is that we bring together a variety of perspectives from the plethora of areas that touch the field of cyber, especially through the colleges, universities, and other institutions of higher education throughout our state. Hence the name, “Perspectives from the Campus”, we invite experts – immersed in the pursuit of educating their students – to offer their knowledge for finding solutions in cybersecurity that benefit all Hoosiers.
In the latest installment of this series, David Dungan, who serves as the co-founder of the Indiana Cyber Network (ICN), joins in the celebration of “National Preparedness Month” and discusses how cybercriminals use the confusion and urgency that can and does occur in the aftermath of a natural disaster, such as the recent flooding that severely impacted much of the Hoosier state, to steal our personal and financial information. In response, David shares the steps we can take proactively to make sure that we’re ready with a well-prepared game plan.
Housed at Anderson University, ICN is a nonprofit public-private partnership and consortium of academic institutions building the state's cybersecurity workforce and defense capabilities.
By David Dungan
In cybersecurity, we often focus on threats such as ransomware, viruses, and data breaches.
However, natural disasters can create many similar types of challenges by damaging homes, businesses, devices, and infrastructure. Adding to the devastation, cyber incidents can and do happen, as scammers and cybercriminals will do whatever they can to take advantage of the confusion and urgency surrounding a disaster by posing as relief organizations, government agencies, charities, or other trusted sources.
Being prepared for a disaster is not just about having extra food and flashlights, it is also about protecting your personal information, securing your digital assets, and taking steps to make a faster recovery possible.
That is the focus of National Preparedness Month, which takes place every September. FEMA’s (Federal Emergency Management Agency’s) Ready Campaign has observed National Preparedness Month since 2004 as an opportunity to take steps to stay safe before, during, and after disasters. For 2026, FEMA’s theme is “Americans Stand Ready.” The theme emphasizes that preparedness begins with individuals and families, and that when people take responsibility for their own readiness, they help make their neighborhoods and communities more resilient.
Throughout September, FEMA encourages Americans to take simple, affordable steps such as staying informed, making an emergency plan, and building a preparedness kit. Taking steps to safeguard technology from unexpected natural disasters, such as last month’s historic flooding across Indiana, is crucial. Making sure important data can be recovered, keeping essential devices powered, and staying informed through emergencies can make a major difference before, during, and after a disaster. Here are a few ideas on how you can prepare for the unexpected.
Backup your data
Important documents, photos, contacts, and other digital files can be difficult, if not impossible, to replace after a disaster or device loss. Keeping backups in more than one location can help protect against that possibility.
Consider:
- Backing up important files to a trusted cloud service or external drive.
- Checking that your phone's photos and other important data are being backed up.
- Keeping a local backup in a secure location that is separate from your primary device.
- Making sure you can access your accounts and backups if your primary device is lost or damaged.
Having multiple copies of important data also helps decrease the likelihood of permanently losing your data and it makes it a lot easier to recover after a disaster.
Stay powered
As power and internet access may be unavailable during an emergency, a little preparation can help keep essential devices available when you need them most. Because of that, it’s a good idea to:
- Keep your phones, laptops, and battery packs charged.
- Use a surge protector or an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) to help protect computers and other equipment from power interruptions.
- Keep your charging cables and backup power sources somewhere easily accessible.
- If you’re a business owner, periodically check that your backup power systems and generators are operational.
Critical alerts
Another great way to stay informed in the event of an emergency is to be aware of warnings, such as the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) and the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The WEAs are short alerts that are sent out as a warning by authorities for a locally targeted area, such as a state, local, tribal, or territorial government. The EAS is the national public warning system that comes from the president in response to an emergency. These warnings are often broadcast to many devices such as phones, TVs, and radio stations.
In addition to the basic alert systems, we recommend downloading the FEMA app used by ready.gov, which allows you to receive real-time weather and emergency alerts, send notifications to family members, locate emergency shelters in your area, get preparedness strategies, and more.
By taking time to create a plan that involves everyone in your household and making sure you’ve got all of your bases covered, you’ll be calmer before the storm comes -- secure in the knowledge that your digital life is protected.