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In cyber security, you have to be perfect 100% of the time. Cyber criminals only have to be lucky once. That’s why, in cyber security, it is also critical to be prepared if the worst does happen with a practical and well-rehearsed incident response plan. You can make your digital life much more secure by taking some simple steps. Organizational resilience involves planning, testing, and learning from incidents.
Do you have easy access to resources and reminders about where to report suspicious behaviors? Are there reminders around your workplace with IT support numbers, and where can you seek more information about your role in incident response?
Organizations must assume breaches will occur and focus on rapid detection, containment, and recovery. That’s what incident response is all about! Everyone, including the creators and users of sensitive data within the organization, is responsible for these procedures. It’s critical that everyone fully understands their role in the event of suspicious behavior or a full-on cyberattack.
Not only do you have a responsibility to the people whose private data you manage, but you also have to keep in mind that anyone can be a target of a cyber criminal. Whether you work at a large organization or a small business, cybercriminals target anyone they think is vulnerable!
That’s why it’s essential to have a plan in place, no matter how tech-savvy you are. In today’s hyper-connected world, it’s a matter of when—not if. 95% of cyberattacks begin because of simple human error. Therefore, it’s paramount to have procedures in place that explain what to do when you spot abnormal system behavior and where to report malicious encounters.
With a proper incident response plan, you can be prepared to bounce back quickly. In an emergency situation, you don’t want to waste time panicking about where or how to send up red flags. You want to jump right into damage control, thereby minimizing the negative fallout of a breach.
What should you be doing? Start by having a plan!
Be ready with automatic detection software. Antivirus software is a must-have. Most programs will monitor for suspicious activity and alert you if something seems off.
Organizations should also have a SOC or Security Operations Center. SOCs are a combination of software and analysts (real people) who monitor your network 24/7 and respond in real time to threats before they can elevate into a major attack. This would be part of your Cyber Security Department in larger organizations, but smaller organizations can get the same level of protection with shared SOCs.
Take time to think about the things you can’t afford to lose. Family photos? Important work documents? Once you know your priorities, you can figure out how to back them up securely. Think external hard drive or cloud storage.
Practice makes perfect. Just like a fire drill, put your plan into action! Test your storage systems and backups to guarantee they work well before an incident occurs. This way, you won’t be scrambling in a crisis.
When a severe security incident hits you or your company, essential steps need to be taken AS SOON AS POSSIBLE to minimize the event’s repercussions.
- Detect and isolate affected systems and hardware.
- Alert employees.
- Preserve evidence of the breach and remove malicious code.
- Patch vulnerabilities and update software and firmware.
- Reset passwords.
- Inform affected parties and the authorities.
Learn from every incident. Even minor hiccups can be valuable lessons. If you do get hit by a cyberattack, like malware or phishing, taking the above steps can help limit the damage and prevent repeat attacks from succeeding.
At Commonwealth Sentinel, we offer technical solutions like Security Operations Center (SOC) and training packages to help you prevent falling victim to cyber crime. Our Critical Response Team can help you get your systems back up and running if the worst happens. What’s your first step? Schedule a free consultation today or contact us at (502) 320-9885 for more information.