While businesses are increasingly aware of the many dangers that cyber-attacks can present to their company, it seems that they still aren’t entirely sure how to deal with data loss or breaches. The majority of modern businesses workings are dealt with online, and if a malware attack or other bugs enter their network, they can be left completely crippled. According to a study by the Ponemon Institute conducted for HP, seventy percent of the 495 executives surveyed believe that their companies don’t fully understand the risks that they can be exposed to as a result of a data breach.
You can minimize the risk of a data breach and ensure your company is well equipped to deal with the fallout by follow a few simple steps:
- Understand the Threats
Be proactive and make sure that you and your employees understand the risks they face. Identifying the most sensitive and important data in your network is imperative so that you can devise a plan to back it up before an attack occurs.
- Protect Yourself
Making sure that adequate security measures are in place in case of an attack is crucial. One way to do this is to have a third party provide recommendations on the strength of your already-implemented security practices, and perhaps to suggest further measures.
- Keep Updated
Meet regularly with your board of directors, your company’s CEO, and your I.T. security team to keep everyone updated on potential security and online threats. This is a good way to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that all parties are prepared for a potential breach.
- Test Yourself
The best way to determine how ready you are for an attack is a drill. Forensics technologies and expertise should be part of the response plan so that they can determine the cause of a breach as soon as it happens.
- Train Your Staff
Reduce employee mistakes and negligence in the handling of sensitive information with regular training and awareness programs. This can help to prevent any careless errors such as opening an e-mail containing data-destroying malware.
- Centralize Leadership
Selecting a security leader who is supported by an expert staff is the easiest way to deal with incident response. Should your company fall victim to an online threat, having a pre-appointed and unified team to deal with the issue will ensure a quick response.
An attack or breach of your company’s systems is something no one wants to think is possible, but in today’s technology age, it’s a very real threat. For more information on how to prevent and deal with attacks or data breach issues, contact us by email or speak with us directly by phone.
