Nobody wants to think about the worst-case scenario, but if a cyberattack hits your business, every second counts when it comes to figuring out the extent of the damage and stopping it from spreading and costing you more in damages.
According to the National Small Business Association, from phishing scams to data breaches, the average attack costs $9,000. This number can get a lot higher the longer your network remains down. One of the ways to help minimize the damage is by having a technology service provider (TSP) working with you. Let’s break down the essential steps you and your TSP will do following a cyberattack.
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Contain the Breach
The very first step you and your tech team need to take after confirming a cyberattack occurred is isolating the compromised servers. Figure out which servers are affected and quarantine them. You can do this by disconnecting the servers from the internet, disabling remote access and changing all passwords.
Determine the Extent of the Cyberattack
Once the hacked servers are isolated from your network, it’s time to figure out what’s compromised. Also, find out who was affected by the breach, including the personal data of your employees, customers and professional partners.
If You Have Data Backups, Use Them
After completing your assessment of what data and pieces of your infrastructure are affected, you need to use your backup data to keep your business operational. The longer your IT is down, the more money your business will lose. However, check to make sure the hackers haven’t compromised your backups before turning them on. Otherwise, you’re back to square one.
Inform Everyone Affected
When things start to settle down, you need to let people know your business was hacked. This step can be difficult for many business owners because sharing bad news is never easy. However, you must inform your business partners, customers and everyone else on what happened because trying to cover it up will only make things worse. Also, keep in mind that you should also inform your local authorities and governing bodies within your industry to stay compliant with any regulations.
How We Can Help
Now that you know what to do during a cyberattack, hopefully, you never have to follow these steps. The best time to stop a cyberattack is before it occurs. If you realized while reading this that you don’t have data backups, a contingency plan or a disaster plan in place, then we can help save your data. Our team of cybersecurity experts can audit your network and determine what you need to meet and exceed industry data compliance regulations. Keep your essential data safe.
Don’t Wait Until After the Hack
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