When disaster strikes, communication is everything. Your organization’s ability to rapidly notify key individuals, direct employees in real time, and coordinate with emergency responders can make all the difference in minimizing damage and protecting lives. Whether through mobile alerts, mass messaging systems, or even old-school walkie-talkies, an effective emergency communication tool ensures that no message is missed and every second is maximized. In this article, we’ll explore the critical uses of this indispensable tool—from enhancing response times in crisis situations to ensuring continuity of operations during complex events. Ready to boost your organization’s preparedness? Keep reading to learn how this tool can streamline communication across multiple channels and ensure you’re prepared for whatever comes next.
What is an emergency communication tool?
In businesses, the primary communication tool serves various functions:
- Project and operational teams use it to collaborate.
- Partners or suppliers connect to exchange information.
- Technical teams may share updates on the status of network infrastructures.
Additionally, employees and executives use this tool for online meetings, addressing topics of varying sensitivity. This all-encompassing tool is highly strategic in the life of an organization and may be a target for cyberattacks or subject to various malfunctions.
In such scenarios, relying on a backup communication solution is crucial. Deployed across the organization, this solution allows teams to maintain communication under all circumstances. The result is time saved, increased security, and improved efficiency while waiting for the primary tool to be restored to full functionality.
How is it deployed within an organization?
Typically, the emergency communication tool is deployed on a dedicated infrastructure within the company, separate from traditional networks, to enable out-of-band communications. In the event of a crisis, teams can benefit from secure, dedicated communication channels. This setup helps them respond to incidents and ensure business continuity and recovery more easily.
For a backup videoconferencing solution, on-premise deployment is preferred. This allows the company to maintain control over its installation and maintenance, thereby reducing external security risks. The organization can then decide whether to connect the solution to the Internet or restrict its use to internal purposes only.
In its on-premise version, Tixeo, a Secure by Design videoconferencing solution, is deployed without affecting the organization’s general network security policy.
Read the article: What is Out-of-Band Communication?
Use Case #1: Coordinating teams during a crisis
A DDoS attack has just occurred, and numerous internal services, including the primary video collaboration tool, are inaccessible. Crisis management teams, either on-site or remote, must urgently communicate through an alternative software solution to quickly coordinate and delegate tasks.
In March 2024, a major distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack targeted several French ministries, disrupting access to websites and messaging systems. Amid geopolitical tensions, such attacks are becoming more frequent, affecting public administrations and the banking sector.
A DDoS attack involves generating massive Internet traffic toward a target infrastructure (such as a website) via a network of infected machines (botnet). These machines send numerous simultaneous requests to the target, overwhelming the network and rendering the site or service unavailable.
Use Case #2: Ensuring business continuity
During a crisis, employees can rely on the emergency communication tool to continue exchanging information between teams, which is essential for ensuring business continuity and preparing for a return to normal operations.
For example, in a manufacturing plant, if a ransomware attack paralyzes the internal network, managers need to maintain direct contact with teams to keep production lines running. They also need to monitor the receipt of raw materials and the shipping of products with their suppliers.
In the event of a network outage that prevents access to equipment management and intervention systems, technicians must communicate via the emergency communication tool to coordinate their operations.
In the banking sector, a cyberattack may impact trading platforms, and employees must be able to communicate to make quick decisions and place orders.
Use Case #3: Internal communication during emergency situations
In the event of a cyber or other type of incident, employees may feel helpless without access to their usual collaboration tools. This is especially true for remote workers who may feel isolated without the ability to interact easily with their managers or colleagues. The emergency communication tool helps maintain real-time communication, both between teams and regarding the resolution of the incident. As a result, employees will have the same level of information and can better organize their work.
In June 2023, Rennes University Hospital suffered a cyberattack and immediately cut off the facility’s Internet connection. The hospital’s Director of Digital Services (DSN) highlighted the four factors that helped avoid data encryption. Among them, “internal and external communication” through “predefined channels” ensured that all stakeholders in the organization were informed. Rapid, organization-wide communication during the emergency helped prevent the situation from worsening (such as clicking on a compromised email or connecting to a corrupted network).
Other Uses: Training and Telework Security
The secure collaboration tool can also be used to train employees on sensitive topics or specific procedures, such as building security or activity protection. Additionally, the emergency communication solution proves valuable in preparing teams for emergency situations during crisis simulations. Regularly conducting such exercises helps strengthen cyber-resilience.
Emergency Communication Tool for NIS 2 Compliance
More than 100,000 European companies will be required to comply with the NIS 2 Directive by October 2024 to enhance their cybersecurity.
According to Article 21.2.c, the security measures implemented must allow “business continuity, such as backup management, disaster recovery, and crisis management.” Deploying an emergency communication tool is one of the levers that ensure teams remain connected during a crisis.
This recommendation aligns with Article 21.2.j, which refers to the use of “secure voice, video, and text communication solutions and emergency communication systems.” In other words, for companies subject to NIS 2, it is imperative that the deployed emergency communication tool meets strict security criteria (end-to-end encryption, secure deployment, and access).
Tixeo, a videoconferencing solution certified and qualified by the French National Agency for the Security of Information Systems (ANSSI), is designed for out-of-band communications and meets the NIS 2 requirements.
FAQ :
It is typically deployed on a dedicated infrastructure within the company, separate from traditional networks. This ensures out-of-band communications, which are critical during network failures or cyberattacks, allowing teams to maintain secure, uninterrupted communication .
An on-premise deployment allows companies to maintain full control over their emergency communication tools. This includes installation, configuration, and deciding whether to connect to the internet. This method is particularly useful during a cyberattack or network disruption as it enables secure, out-of-band communications on dedicated servers .
Emergency communication tools are vital for coordinating teams during a crisis, such as a DDoS attack that renders usual internal systems inoperable. They also ensure that essential alerts and instructions are delivered and received rapidly by relevant teams .
These tools allow organizations, especially those in crisis management, to continue communicating during disruptions. They help teams coordinate specific operations, provide real-time updates, and ensure business processes are maintained even under stressful conditions .
Emergency communication tools maintain real-time communication between teams, ensuring all staff has access to consistent and reliable information. This helps to prevent miscommunication, allowing for efficient and coordinated responses .
Beyond crisis scenarios, these tools can be used for training employees on sensitive topics and conducting crisis simulation exercises. They are also useful in routine safety drills and preparing teams for potential emergencies .
It complies with the NIS 2 Directive by addressing requirements for business continuity and crisis management as outlined in Article 21.2.c. It also meets the standard for secure communication solutions as stated in Article 21.2.j, ensuring compliance with European standards .
To meet NIS 2 standards, an emergency communication tool must include features such as end-to-end encryption, secure deployment and access, and the possibility of obtaining ANSSI certification to ensure data protection .
The main challenge is ensuring the use of secure, reliable communication tools that remain operational even when traditional networks fail. Additionally, tools must support hybrid work environments, allowing teams to assign tasks quickly and coordinate responses efficiently across multiple platforms .
Tools like secure videoconferencing, SMS, email, and satellite communication systems can be deployed on the organization’s servers to allow for continuous communication and collaboration between teams, even remotely .