⚠️ 72 Hours to Survive – What Does This Mean for Business Crisis Management?

Business Crisis Management? To put it into perspective, imagine this: it’s Friday morning at 9 AM..Your coffee is still warm, and your team is working in the office or on the production floor. Then suddenly, everything goes dark. There’s a power outage. The internet cuts out, phones fall silent, and servers shut down.

So, is your business truly prepared for a situation like this? Could it realistically continue to operate—or even survive—for 72 hours without functioning systems? In such a scenario, having a plan in place becomes absolutely vital. More importantly, do you already have a corporate emergency plan in place?

According to a recommendation by the European Union issued in April 2025, every citizen—and every business—must be prepared for crisis situations, including with at least a 72-hour survival kit. (Source: Euronews)

However, this guidance doesn’t apply only to households. On the contrary, businesses are just as vulnerable—if not more so.  So, crisis management for businesses is no longer optional—it’s an essential part of responsible operations.

🌩️ A Real Scenario: Spanish-Portuguese Blackout, 2025

In April 2025, both Spain and Portugal were plunged into darkness for several hours. The power grid collapsed due to a combination of environmental and technical failures, possibly exacerbated by a cyberattack. (Source: Telex)

Now, let’s consider a different angle: what if the same thing happened in Budapest, Debrecen or any industrial zone where your business is located?? In that case, would your company remain operational or grind to a halt?

🧰 72-Hour Survival Kit for Companies – What Should It Include? How Does This Relate to NIS2 Preparedness?

Ultimately, the goal of an emergency plan isn’t to induce panic—it’s to ensure preparedness and business continuity even under pressure. In fact, business crisis management begins with a well-designed continuity plan.

Standards like ISO/IEC 27001 (specifically, Section A.5.30) and NIS2 compliance both mandate that information and communication systems must remain available—even during a crisis.

For instance, the Hungarian NIS2 regulation identifies 48 specific threats, including:

• Power outage or network failure

• Communication systems downtime

• Fire, water damage, or environmental disaster

• Sabotage or cyberattack

• Damage to IT systems or data loss

• Malware, DoS attacks, and social engineering

🏢 Preparing for Power Outages as a Business – Office Tips

To ensure resilience, companies should implement the following measures:

• • Prepare home office options in advance

  • Use UPS (uninterruptible power supply) for essential devices

  • Set up mobile internet and secure VPN access

  • Keep spare laptops with 4–6 hours of battery life

  • Invest in a generator for prolonged outages

  • Build flexible workflows and schedules

  • Pre-plan workforce reallocation strategies

  • Regularly test emergency scenarios and maintain key equipment

🔗 Supply Chain – External Risks That Affect You

Your business doesn’t operate in isolation. A power outage, network disruption, or cyberattack at your bank, payment provider, or telecom partner can just as easily bring your systems to a halt.

Therefore, ask yourself:

• Do you have reliable alternative service providers?

• Are your backups stored off-site?

• Can your company function offline if necessary? If not, what measures can be introduced now to make that possible in the future?

• Do your teams know what to do when digital systems are down?

🛡️ Business Crisis Management: Recognition Is Not Enough – Action Is Essential

Creating a corporate emergency plan is not merely a NIS2 requirement—it’s a vital investment in your company’s stability and future. In the end, the real question is not if disruption will occur, but when—and more importantly, how prepared you are to face it.

✅ Next Step: How Can Your Business Prepare?

Athalie Consulting helps you not just survive a crisis—but emerge stronger.

Our services:

✔️ Business Continuity Planning
✔️ Risk Assessment under NIS2
✔️ ISO/IEC 27001 and NIS2 Readiness
✔️ Emergency Scenario Development and Testing

📞 Get in touch with us to build your company’s 72-hour survival kit together!

👉 Contact Us | 💬 info@athalie.hu

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