Imagine an external cyber attack occurring in your business, or an employee getting exploited by a phishing email. Will you know what you’ll do in the event of a data breach, and are you prepared to act immediately? Read on to learn more about how planning your response to a cyber attack can help you respond quickly and calmly.
What to Consider When Developing Your Cybersecurity Plan
Your business may have a plan in place already to cope with the latest cyber threats–ideally, this is the case. Or else, you have a plan that needs to be revisited and updated, reflecting the changed work environment brought about by remote workers caused by the pandemic. This is a good time to take an inventory of your IT assets and network security. Starting with the basics, look to see if there are any vulnerabilities that need to be patched with the most up-to-date operating systems patches. Are your antivirus and anti-malware definitions current? Also, can you account for all devices connected to your network, such as laptops used by remote workers? Going beyond the basics your plan should include training your employees to remain safe while remote by knowing how to identify phishing schemes that could result in a ransomware attack. Additionally, evaluate advanced security risks related to compliance requirements, sensitive data or high cost of unplanned downtime.
Planning Now Helps You Respond Quickly Later
You’ve probably heard the saying, “Plan your work and work your plan.” This definitely applies to your plan for keeping your network secure. What if your company experiences a cyber attack that leads to a data breach? You’ll need to know the deadlines for notifying customers and other parties of a data breach, as well as any data protection regulations to follow. If a remote worker experiences an attack, they’ll need to know what to do immediately. Ideally, they will know best practices and follow your incident response policy. Having your network security plan ready means you can act immediately to remediate damage to your network and your business.
Planning your response before an attack will position you to act quickly and calmly to an attack. For help in developing or refining your network security plan, contact us today.
