Tips to Recover After a Cyber Attack

Finnegan Pierson

Chances are you have seen the scenes in a movie where cyber attacks occur, and everyone starts to panic. Fast typing, hectic phone calls, and computer screens going black seem pretty scary and creates a “doomsday” feel.

However, when cyber attacks occur in real life, things look slightly different. In fact, it could be days, weeks, or months before you even know your network has been breached. After you figure out this has happened, you may not know what to do next. That’s why it’s so important to prepare now. Along with learning what is a cyber attack, knowing how to handle the situation is a must. Keep reading to learn what to do.

Figure Out What You Lost

After a cyber attack, the first step is the most important. Unfortunately, it’s commonly overlooked. In some cases, this occurs because of laziness, but companies don’t want to face the reality of the situation in other situations. If you are the victim of a cyber attack, you need to figure out what information has been taken. This is because this will determine what the next step is.

Your goal is to make a connection to what happened and what caused it. Figure out what was breached or stolen. The next step is to make connections from the information you gather. If someone stole email addresses, the steps you take next will be much different than if credit card numbers or other sensitive data was stolen.

Replace Outdated Technology

Now may be a good time to replace all your old security technology with newer, more updated technology options. You also need to add tools where necessary to create a more in-depth line of defense. Now is the time to invest in highly integrated solutions that offer a wide range of alerting capabilities and utilize automation when possible. It’s smart to balance preventive tools with defective capabilities rather than just having one or the other.

Keep in mind, though, even if you purchase all the shiny and new technology, it is completely useless if you don’t have the proper controls and processes in place. Cyber attacks and data breaches, no matter if they arise from inside or outside your business, are determined by people’s behavior. Remember, there’s no technology in existence today that can stop a motivated individual who has enough resources and time. While it can prevent most of these issues, it’s not 100% guaranteed.

Secure All Passwords

When it comes to protecting your network and business, you have to take steps to secure your passwords. It’s also wise to set up multi-factor authentication. Creating password policies that are adopted company-wide can be beneficial in protecting your business and minimize the likelihood of a cyber attack.

Take Steps to Keep Things from Getting Worse

Thanks to the advancement in technology, cyber attacks are more common than ever before. You have to take some steps to keep the situation from getting worse after it occurs. This includes disconnecting your network, removing any remote access, and changing your firewall credentials.

You should also keep an eye on any affected systems to ensure it doesn’t keep spreading. If it has impacted the entire network, be sure to notify your customers and staff about the attack to help them take the right steps and avoid further problems from the cyber attack.

Backup Your Network

When it comes to protecting your network and business, you need to make sure you backup your system regularly. This will ensure that if you do experience an attack, you have a point to revert back to. This is going to help prevent any serious and often devastating issues from occurring.

When it comes to a cyber attack, it is important to know what to do to recover your system and network. In the long run, being proactive and preventing this issue is best, but taking action after it occurs is also important. Being informed is the best way to ensure the desired results are achieved.