back to article How one Ukrainian software maker planned for survival as invaders approached

At the start of the year, when it looked likely that Russia would invade Ukraine, Kyiv-based MacPaw began making a plan for operating during wartime. CTO Vira Tkachenko described at the Jamf Nation User Conference how the 500-person Mac and Windows software maker prepared for the conflict. Risk assessment is something every …

  1. A Non e-mouse Silver badge
    Pint

    Beer icon.

    'Nuff said.

    1. gandalfcn Silver badge

      Great guys.

  2. alain williams Silver badge

    Emotional state of employees

    Nice to see a CTO thinking about that.

  3. Evil Auditor Silver badge

    ...and we are in a major crisis when the automated coffee maker refuses to deliver auditors' fuel.

  4. Potemkine! Silver badge
    Pint

    Glory to Ukraine!

    Those guys are astonishing.

    == Bring us Dabbsy back! ==

  5. crayon

    Does she have any advice for her soon to be ex-compatriots who have suffered 8 years of shelling by the Kiev regime? Elensky did, he advised "if you feel you are Russian then go back to Russia", so now they are, and are taking their land with them.

    1. 42656e4d203239 Silver badge
      Flame

      Feed the troll, Tuppence a bag...

      well you have to don't you?

      1. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

        Re: Feed the troll, Tuppence a bag...

        Oh, be nice. crayon has a 15-year history of posting uninformed hot takes here. That's dedication.

        1. Ptol

          Re: Feed the troll, Tuppence a bag...

          He is informed.

          The Russian state media has been feeding him information relentlessly for the last 20 years. It is not his fault you get your information from alternative sources.

          Personally i find that the British TV Channel 4 provides the best curated news content, and it's often interesting to see the differences in emphasis provided by Al Jazzira and fox news on major stories.

          I am most worried when all three are taking the same editorial line.

    2. Valeyard

      work harder comrade, get that comment count up or there are draft papers with your name on it

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Honestly I’m surprised that our old chum VoiceofTroll hasn’t popped up around here recently to tell us all how it’s all the fault of the US/UK that poor defenceless Russia has been forced into this etc etc.

        One suspects he’s either received his call-up papers and is now learning how to wage war on vicious evil Jewish Nazis (who are occupying their own country, natch) while armed with the very best military equipment Mother Russia can provide (ie 3 tampons and a signed photo of Uncle Vlad), or - more likely - he’s lurking on the fringes of Labour Party conference, hanging on the every word of Corbyn & Burgon.

        1. Old Used Programmer

          Given the the observed performance of the Russian army, "poor, defenseless Russia" isn't all that far off the mark.

        2. DS999 Silver badge

          Maybe he was drafted

          I wonder how the propagandists will feel about the war when they are in the thick of it?

          Though if he was smart he'd be fleeing the country like anyone else with the means has done or is currently attempting to do. Surprised Putin hasn't shut the borders yet, but I guess he figures there is an unlimited supply of poor uneducated Russian men to serve as cannon fodder and letting the malcontents leave decreases his chance of being overthrown.

          1. DrSunshine0104

            Re: Maybe he was drafted

            The people who use 'they look like me and talk like me... hurr' as justification to allow their fellow countrymen to be killed, while not being part of the Russian plutocracy's nationalistic bullwhip, are not people firing on all cylinders.

          2. gandalfcn Silver badge

            Re: Maybe he was drafted

            "there is an unlimited supply of poor uneducated Russian men" and then there are all the IQ45 and MTG disciples as well.

            1. gandalfcn Silver badge

              Re: Maybe he was drafted

              An IQ45 / MTG disciple is upset.

              https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-russian-propaganda-lashes-out-b2039236.html

              https://theblackwallsttimes.com/2022/03/17/marjorie-taylor-greene-blames-ukraine-and-u-s-for-russian-invasion/

              https://www.factcheck.org/2022/03/marjorie-taylor-greene-parrots-russian-talking-point-on-ukraine/

    3. Spanners Silver badge

      now they are and are taking their land with them.

      No, they aren't and no it's not,

      Like Ireland a few centuries ago, there has been an attempt no plant settlers in Ukraine over the years.

      Plenty of them adapted and became Ukrainians. Their president's ancestors did but there are still some who want to be "Back in the USSR". Vlad is trying to recreate it for them,,,

    4. MyffyW Silver badge

      The World Wide Web is wonderful if you've got something to sell,

      But the opinions often summon up the focus group from hell,

      It's best not to be distracted and stay focused on your goals,

      And take my advice: don't feed the trolls.

      Billy Bragg, Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards, 2012

  6. millep0

    Not what they teach you in business school...

    Very, very impressive - so important, to keep people's lives going and as much of the economic infrastructure as possible.

    Hats off!

  7. Mike 137 Silver badge

    "Risk assessment is something every organization has to deal with"

    A humungous problem well managed. However unless something has been left out of the picture this should not be described as risk assessment - it was hazard identification and incident response planning and jolly well done. Risk includes an element of likelihood (consequence times probability) that contributes significantly to the prioritisation among multiple hazards/responses. Almost the entire business community fails to recognise the distinction between hazards and risks, which may explain to some extent the parlous quality of much corporate risk assessment. But then even those experts that contribute to international standards assume hazard and risk are interchangeable terms, so it's not surprising the confusion persists.

  8. Will Godfrey Silver badge
    Pint

    When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

    These people are showing up the entire world.

    Incredible degree of thoughtfulness and genuine concern for each other.

  9. An_Old_Dog Silver badge

    Slow Up, Nellie

    Given all the computer-system-cracking associated with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, were I a Ukrainian tech person, I would not want to be reporting (or having someone/some program/some device reporting) my physical whereabouts in to a computer.

    A simple, "I've got connectivity and can work here for the next X hours before I've got to move on" message from me would be enough for my manager to schedule my work/collaboration.

  10. sreynolds

    "Our priority number one was about the security and stability of our services,"

    So it's wasn't a real our people matter most company. Yeah let the staff be conscripted. I always thought that "Investing in people" mantra was a load of shit.

    1. diodesign (Written by Reg staff) Silver badge

      Er..

      If you read the very next paragraph:

      > There was an even more pressing priority – which Tkachenko referred to as "priority zero" – the physical security of company team members.

      Blows your argument out of the water.

      C.

    2. gandalfcn Silver badge

      Re: "Our priority number one was about the security and stability of our services,"

      "mantra was a load of shit" The only shite is you trolling for Murdering Vlad the Insane.

      1. sreynolds

        Re: "Our priority number one was about the security and stability of our services,"

        I don't troll for anyone, biatch.

        1. gandalfcn Silver badge

          Re: "Our priority number one was about the security and stability of our services,"

          So you are just a lying, immoral troll. not much difference is there as your comment supports Putin the Murderer.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    LONGBOWMAN

    The most important lesson is that a powerful infantry can be trained and stood up from men aged 18 to 60 in a matter of weeks. As could be seen in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, ATGMs like MILAN, TOW, KORNET can stop any tank army. Tanks have become almost a heavy coffin, or they must be hidden far behind the front. MANPADs will do the air defense, in tandem with the Air Force.

    If this war escalates further, we all must be prepared to be drafted for this. For most office drones, health would definitely improve from a few weeks of marching and living in the woods in foxholes. Keep sharp by training every second weekend, like the LONGBOWMEN did hundreds of years ago.

    1. MJB7

      Re: LONGBOWMAN

      No, the _most_ important lesson is that "The moral is to the physical as three is to one," as Napoleon said.

  12. Lord Baphomet

    And so say all of us

    Given the high risk of this conflict escalating into the rest of Europe, this article documents an important process most companies should be following right now. If you're not doing this at work then you're burying your head in the sand.

    Will Vlad invade other countries? I don't know. Might be invade other countries? Yes. So, be prepared. Once the nukes start flying it'll be too late.

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