What if the internet went down for a day?

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) asked economists from all over the world to predict the impact on their country's economy if the internet was completely shutdown for one day. In almost all regions they said businesses would suffer major losses and costly damage that would have "huge and lasting effects".

Unsurprisingly, concern was greatest in the US, Western Europe (including Britain) and in several Asian countries such as Japan, Taiwan and India.

"Business, governments and people depend on the internet for such a large number of their activities today," said Herbert Heitmann, chairman of the ICC's Commission on Electronic Business.

"We must prioritise the secure and stable functioning of the internet," he said. "Ensuring there are appropriate policy, legal and regulatory frameworks is essential to preventing economic loss, and disruption of peoples' lives while still maximising the opportunities the internet represents."

The ICC highlighted how four undersea communication cables had been cut during a one week period at the end of January this year.

It said the incidents provided real-life examples of the "massive losses" that could occur from interruption to internet services.

'Business survival'

"The cuts caused a dramatic breakdown in internet access in much of the Middle East, with India, the US and Europe also experiencing slowdowns," said an ICC spokesperson.

"They wreaked major damage to the internet backbone, despite back-up routers, and raised questions about the safety of the oceanic network that handles most of the world's internet and telephone traffic."

A recent report from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) revealed that half of companies thought an IT failure lasting for just one-day would jeopardise the survival of their entire business.

The EIU's Rob Mitchell, said: "The results of the survey illustrate the degree to which companies now rely on their IT systems, as well as the devastating consequences that can ensue from even a short period of disruption."

What impact would a one-day internet blackout have on your business? Would your business continuity plan cover such an event? Email us your thoughts here