As a business owner, every last piece of information and data your company holds could be valuable to hackers. And don’t believe for a second that because you are a small business, you aren’t of interest.
Despite all the headlines, the vast majority of operations suffering hacks are small to medium-sized, simply because they are easy targets. And when it finally occurs, hacking can have devastating consequences on your business.
The sad fact is, however, that if an experienced hacker wants to get into your business systems, they probably can. The big question is – how are you going to deal with the fallout? We’re going to explore a few ideas with you right now, so read on to find out more.
Be proactive, not reactive.
It’s vital to have the right systems in place to ensure that if the worst happens, you still have a business. Security and backup are essential, of course – and not just for your primary servers and data centers. Your backup might need backup, too. For example, RAID 0 data recovery will be essential if RAID 0 is your safety net. As any expert will tell you, RAID-enabled systems at this level do not provide any redundancy, and if a hacker decides to wipe a drive, you could lose everything.
Get to know a professional.
Knowing where to turn when things go awry is a critical part of any business operation – it’s all about who, not what, you know! There are different professionals to call, too. A security expert – preferably with knowledge of your systems – is vital, of course. But you should also have a legal officer on hand. Trade secrets could be at stake, here, and it might be necessary to bring in compliance teams, too, depending on your company’s legal status. The critical thing here is to move fast – the longer you leave things, the worse your situation will be.
Look at your current security.
It’s always advisable to make regular checks on your IT security system all the time, of course. But it is imperative straight after you have been hacked. There are a few key things you can do straight away, including resetting passwords and tightening up access. Of course, if an experienced hacker is in your system, this may prove fruitless. But bear in mind that most hacks are not this severe, and in the vast majority of cases, it’s worth trying to beef up your security after the event.
Lead the team.
Here’s the thing about suffering a breach in your system – if you run around in a blind panic, there is a good chance your employees will, too. You need to act appropriately, calmly, and ensure that you are removing any roadblocks out of the way of the people who will be trying to fix the problem. Prioritize, delegate, and ensure an efficient flow of information to everyone involved.
Communicate.
Finally, ensure your customers, suppliers, and stakeholders are all aware of the problem – sooner rather than later. Don’t try and hide, or cover things up – it will go against you in the long run. However, avoid communicating anything outside the team that isn’t 100% accurate. Any incident of hacking can be incredibly embarrassing – but how you respond in public will often be how you are judged.
