In 2018, most businesses have some kind of online presence, which means that they are always susceptible to a cyber attack. In fact, the potential global community cost of cyber-crime is estimated at $500 billion and, as noted in a quick report published by The Best VPN, the average company would probably lose around $3.8 million if it were the victim of a data breach.
Protecting your business with a continuity plan
Naturally, one of the easiest ways to protect your business from a cyber-attack would be to come offline altogether, but in an age when technology and the Internet offer two of the quickest and most effective routes toward the target audience, dropping off of the grid really isn’t a viable option for any business. So, what becomes immediately essential is a well-thought-out continuity plan.
As such, start with the basics: prevention. Continuity plans should always begin by looking at how business disasters, like getting hacked, can be avoided in the first place. Be savvy and don’t overlook traditional security ideas. For instance, try keeping important data away from the cloud and out of harm’s way on an external hard drive (make two copies). Carefully store these hard copies away from trouble in a high-tech combination safe.
Protecting homes and cell phones
The second thing you can do to keep your business safe from hacking hands is to up the security at home and on your phone. Most people use their cell phones to work, or engage in some kind of work-related activity from the comforts of their own home. Lock screen security systems are fairly popular, but according to Popular Science, a digital vault security app takes your cell phone security to a whole different level. These vaults represent the latest in tech-gadget security.
Similarly, while it’s tempting to browse the kind of gadgets that revolutionize our home experience through intelligent design, home-office facilities need technological solutions that keep business data safe. According to IFSEC Global, one of the best things you can do to keep your smart home safe is to invest in an IPv6 network. But even with all these security solutions in place, a cyber attack is always possible. So, avoid making one of the rookie mistakes, and make sure the homes and cell phones of key company figures are also factored into the recovery element of your continuity plan.
Recovery must include a tech backup strategy
Even with the best prevention continuity plan in place, things can still go wrong, which is why all continuity plans must include a series of steps to follow should you need to recover data and get the business back on track with minimal fuss and loss. As such, one element of the continuity plan should define a tech backup strategy that’s periodically tested to make sure it would work if put to the test.
The strategy should name an online backup service whose job would be to protect all your essential software. Online backup services are not the same as cloud storage and file syncing services. This means that Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive, mustn’t be confused with online backup service options, because they’re not designed to automatically protect every vital document, media file, or system file, should the worst happen. For a breakdown of the best options out there, check out the review of online backup services on PCMag.
Remember, prevention is better than cure. Cyber-attacks are real and they should be taken seriously, but the more you can do with a continuity plan to ensure that data breaches are kept at bay, the better.
