Cyber-attacks are some of the biggest threats facing business today. They mainly happen when least expected, resulting in huge disruptions, losses, and loss of customer confidence. Take the case of Ransomware Wannacry that ravaged institutions, including government agencies, in Europe early in 2017. The malware attacked, encrypted organizations’ files, and the cyber-criminals behind it demanded ransom payment to provide the de-encryption code
While you should have a reliable system to protect your business, the fact is that no enterprise system is 100% secure. So let us look at a situation where you fall victim of a cyber-attack. How do you recover from it? Here are the main steps to follow.
Establish what was Lost
The first step to recovering from a cyber-attack is establishing what was lost. Often, managers tend to ignore this step and jump into overhauling the security system. But this stage is crucial because it helps you to determine the next move and methods of preventing future attacks.
Once you identify what was stolen, build connections from it. If it is email addresses that were stolen, the next course of action might require extraordinary measures compared to when an attacker steals social security numbers.
Replace the Security Technology in Use
One of the reasons why you were attacked is because your system is susceptible. So, consider replacing the current system with new technology and add tools to make the defense system more robust. When installing the new security system, make sure to concentrate on making solutions integrated, develop a wide-ranging alerting system, and take advantage of automation.
Remember to put a lot of effort into changing your staff behaviors. Even if you have a very good security system, you cannot stop a motivated person, especially insider, with resources and technology. So, also focus on training and building the right company culture.
Use Backups to Restore Your System
Whether you have a new enterprise or has been in operation for some time, the one MUST have component in your system is a backup. Indeed, you should maintain several backups in cold storage to serve as fall back plans in the event of an attack. So, if you lost data or your system was compromised, use backup to restore it. A good backup will be able to help you restore data up to a short moment before the attack took place.
If you run a business such as a manufacturing unit, as demonstrated here, you need to have a robust security system to protect it from cyber-attacks. But in the event of a successful attack, you can use the above three steps to recover and get your business system back on track.
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