Image by cristianrodri17 from Pixabay
By Noah Rue
In 2019, there were over 1,400 cybersecurity breaches that impacted businesses across the country. That number grew from the year before, and we’ve continued to see an upward trend. Unfortunately, too many small businesses and major corporations still aren’t taking the importance of cybersecurity seriously enough.
Now that more businesses are adopting remote cultures and moving to cloud-based services, cybersecurity is more important than ever.
Whether you own a business or you’re in charge of IT management for a company, creating a cybersecurity response plan should be a top priority when it comes to keeping your employees, customers, and important data safe.
But, what does that plan look like, and what can you do if you do experience a data breach?
A plan of anticipation
It’s always better to be prepared than to clean up after a breach. While you may not be able to 100% avoid getting hacked, there are things you can do for your business to reduce your risk and deter cybercriminals.
Your response plan should focus on several key elements:
-A preparation that includes training your staff and establishing procedures for IT teams
-Resource allocation your employees can use if systems go down
-Delegating individual responsibilities
-Identification protocols
-Containment protocols
-Recovery protocols
Your entire team needs to know which role to play to prevent a security breach. Don’t assume everyone knows what data means or how to protect themselves from phishing scams or other threats. Clueless employees can be a huge risk to your security, followed by vulnerabilities in your system and a general lack of protection. Once you know your employees are well-versed in keeping themselves and their data safe, it’s worth it to hire a cybersecurity staff that can evaluate your business’s needs and protect your systems from threats.
What to do after an attack
Many cybercriminals will stop at nothing to get the information they want. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you won’t be able to avoid an attack. While you should already have a response plan in place, it’s crucial to stick to it when things are chaotic and frightening.
Data loss is a serious problem for businesses. It can contribute to profit loss, damage your reputation, and disrupt your productivity. In some cases, it may damage your business to the point of no return, causing your endeavors to fail.
The best way to recover after an attack is to rely on the things you prepared for ahead of time and think about what you need to change as you move forward. That might include regularly backing up your data, using only trusted software, or opting for cloud-based solutions from reputable companies that use their own cybersecurity professionals.
It’s also a good idea to keep your files in several places. Chances are, a hacker isn’t going to cause a total loss for your business. They’re going to hack into one “place,” assuming they’ll get all the information they want or need. Their goal is to get in and out quickly.
By storing important data in multiple locations – including hard drives and on the cloud – you’ll still be able to access your files freely. That doesn’t mean they haven’t been compromised. Once data has been “stolen,” everything needs to be changed to be secure again. But, it’s easier to recover and adapt your data when you have a baseline to work with.
If you haven’t invested in a cybersecurity team, now is a perfect time. Because of the growing remote culture in the American workforce, many cybersecurity professionals can be outsourced or utilized as needed. By investing in your business’ cybersecurity efforts, you’re strengthening your resolve for the future and could be protecting yourself from a total loss.
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Noah Rue is a journalist and content writer, fascinated with the intersection between global health, personal wellness, and modern technology. When he isn’t searching out his next great writing opportunity, Noah likes to shut off his devices and head to the mountains to disconnect.
