You’ve worked years, maybe even decades, to build your business to where it is today. A simple mishap that could lead to a cyber-attack could ruin everything you’ve worked so hard for, in a matter of seconds.
Despite these potential risks, several studies indicate business owners and executives do not perceive cybersecurity occurrences as a major risk to their company’s reputation. Large companies like Target, Home Depot, Sony, and eBay, have all recovered from the negative impacts of cyber-attacks. While they did have to deal with unexpected expenses to redeem their brand image, they were certainly never at risk of going out of business. However, small and medium-sized businesses do not have the financial resources or various revenue streams that help diminish the effects of damage to their reputation. For a smaller-sized business, cybersecurity is crucial because a cyber-attack could be fatal to their business.
Prepare and Prevent
Being prepared is the best way to prevent and lessen the damage of cyber-attacks. Create a plan and necessary steps to take in the unfortunate event that your business is attacked, including contact information for IT specialists and/or technical experts to assist you through this process. Follow these other steps to make sure you are taking preventative measures to prepare for a potential breach:
- Communicate and notify employees and clients who were potentially affected.
- Have an alternative communication strategy, as normal communication services may have been impacted by the breach. Educate your employees on cybersecurity and these precautions regularly so they know how to handle the situation and what is expected of them.
- Enable encryption on all devices including desktops, laptops, external drives, phones, and tablets.
- Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for any application or device that could be accessed directly from the internet.
- Implement regular vulnerability testing/assessment that will find the holes in your security and continue to monitor and quickly alert you to any abnormalities.
Many cybersecurity mishaps happen because of human error. These days, phishing scams can be extremely deceiving and sophisticated. Clicking on an illegitimate link or entering personal information into a pop-up that seems legit but is actually a scam are common mistakes. To avoid these mishaps, it’s necessary to schedule regular cybersecurity training programs for all staff.
Backup
A backup is the most detrimental tool for data integrity. Some believe that just having a local copy is enough precaution, but it’s not. An offsite backup copy will prevent it from being jeopardized the same as your in-house copy in the event of a breach and may allow you to recover quicker.
Keep Your Systems Up To Date
Make certain that your company has the latest technology and security systems. Implementing the latest and greatest technology can provide peace of mind and prevent the loss of valuable time and money. State-of-the-art systems will allow you and your team to focus on your company’s actual business while decreasing risk and saving money over time.
Implement regular checks for updates in all systems. Have an IT security expert or a managed IT service provider regularly run risk assessments on your company’s systems.
Call Elevated for Support
The complexity of cybersecurity attacks is constantly expanding, and software alone can’t always handle these attacks. Recognizing this rising complexity of technology solutions, software, security threats, and management requires a high level of tech industry expertise. Outsourcing an IT company with professional and certified tech experts is the most fool-proof way to protect your business from potential cyber-attacks. At Elevated Technologies we deliver premier managed IT services, cloud solutions, data protection, and network security for a flat rate. Houston businesses that require critical technical support and proactive maintenance trust Elevated Technologies. As a result, our clients are able to maximize availability and operations without compromising performance or stability. Contact us today to take the step towards safeguarding your precious business!
