Imagine this…
A staff member returning from a business trip calls you frantically from the airport – they left their company-issued laptop at the hotel, but the hotel staff hasn’t been able to find it. The worst part – that device has access to sensitive company systems and data.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
IT emergencies can strike at any time, for any number of reasons, which is why it’s so important to have a plan and act on it quickly.
Here are five key steps you should take in the event of a suspected data breach:
- Contact your IT support.
Ideally, your IT support firm will be able to locate the device, and remotely lock it to prevent access. Even better, many industry-leading IT support providers have the capability to wipe company devices as well remotely.
- Assess if your system has been penetrated.
Working with your IT support, be sure to examine user behavior, computer logs and other resources to find anything out of the usual that would indicate your systems have been penetrated.
- Detect the extent of the hack.
Ensure that your IT support firm analyzes your systems using diagnostic tools to find out how, when, and where your business has been hacked. Once determined, you can patch any remaining holes, limit the damage, and move on.
- Notify clients.
While it may not be a comfortable conversation, it’s likely that your state’s laws and an advisory contract will require you to disclose the breach to your clients and vendors.
- Conduct a post-mortem.
There’s no use in crying over spilled milk, so do your best to learn from the situation instead. How can it be avoided in the future? How did your clients react? Was your IT support firm successful in preventing actual data theft, and if so, can you spin it into an example of your business’ capabilities?
The fact is that there is no cybersecurity measure, strategy or system that’s 100% effective – the best you can hope for is 99% protection from the ever-growing, ever-evolving threat of cyber crime. That’s why it’s so important to know how to respond to an incident when it does happen, whether that happens tomorrow or a year from now.
Allow Brainlink to help.
We’ve worked with New York City clients in a range of industries to respond quickly, confidently and more efficiently to potential disasters as they occurred, minimizing the damage and preventing it from happening again.
Want a partner in cyber security you can rely on when you get hit with a worst-case scenario? Reach out to Brainlink right away at {phone} or {email} to learn more today.