So You've Been Breached: This is What Should You Do
You'd never think it could happen to you until it's too late. Between the beginning of the year and April 2019, data breaches exposed
4.1 billion records
.
Think about what kind of damage a single breach could do to your business.
Hoping for the best isn't enough. Cybercriminals can and will target your business, no matter how big or small. Knowing what to do in the event of a data breach can mean the difference between shuttering your business and living to fight another day.
Keep reading to learn what you should do if you've been breached.
Prevent Further Damage
Panicking won't do any good. The first thing you'll need to do is go into damage control mode and do your best to mitigate as much damage as possible.
That means closing off any entry points a criminal could use to access your company's data. Things like:
- Your website
- Your servers
- Any software tied to your data
While a data breach is certainly a bad situation, cutting off these means of access can keep a bad situation from turning far worse.
Examine the Scope of the Breach
Gather your team for an emergency meeting and brief everyone on the situation. Then, with your cybersecurity partners, assess the breadth of the breach.
Ask the following questions:
- How did they access the data in the first place?
- What was exposed?
- How much data did they steal?
- What did they do with said data?
The answers to these questions should give you a complete picture of the severity of the situation and help you determine your next step.
Alert the Authorities
The FBI has a
specific branch dedicated to cybercrimes. As such, you should contact them as soon as you have an understanding of the situation.
However, you shouldn't stop there. Your local police department may be able to assist, as well, especially if the breach came from inside your company.
Prepare a Public Statement
No company wants to address a data breach. In many instances, a data breach leads to distrust. After the latest Facebook breach,
60% of people no longer trust the social media giant with their personal info.
But if customer records or other private information found its way into the public, you owe it to your customers to do the right thing and own up to the mistake.
Have your communications team draft a press release to go live on your website and social profiles. Be specific about what you'll do to make it up to your consumers.
Improve Your Data Security Strategy
As soon as everything else is handled, it's time to beef up your security. Data breaches are shockingly common, and there's always a chance that the same criminal may attempt to strike again.
If you haven't done so already, look into a virtual Chief Information Security Officer, or CISO. A CISO can help you establish effective data practices so you can prevent another breach.
So You've Been Breached: A Few Final Thoughts
Cybercrime isn't going to stop anytime soon. If you're not careful, your business could be next. Make sure you're prepared for a worst-case scenario by protecting your data before you've been breached.
We can help.
Get in touch to learn how NXTsoft can keep your data right where it belongs.