Home topics small-business-resources Credit: Christopher Gower Small Business Small Business How businesses can shield themselves from digital pitfalls Yajush Gupta December 21, 2023 Digital infrastructure is all around us, running our increasingly digital world. As summer approaches, scorching hot temperatures will see demand for electricity spike to a once-in-a-decade high, putting pressure on grid infrastructure and serving as a painful reminder that legacy grid infrastructure is critically unprepared for extreme weather events. According to the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO)’s latest Summer Readiness report , Australia is expected to experience exceedingly hot and dry conditions this year, driven by El Niño. This will increase the risk of bushfires and extreme heat across the country and cause adverse effects on an already stretched infrastructure. While the grid is resilient, Australia is going through an energy transition that is adding additional pressure on existing infrastructure and increasing the need to switch to smarter grids. This energy transition coupled with these extreme weather patterns will only exacerbate the problem. One thing is known for sure, if digital infrastructure fails, the physical world suffers. To address this potential critical failure, today’s businesses must focus on the resilience of their systems and how businesses of all sizes can continue to function even after a critical power failure due to changing weather conditions. Organisations must ensure that if blackouts were to occur due to grid overload, and access drops, what does that mean for their digital infrastructure? What does it mean for their business? What does