A cyber attack can be a dispiriting blow to a startup business. While it might stunt a lot of the progress you’ve made, it doesn’t have to be the end of your new venture, and you shouldn’t let it be. Many companies, both big and small, have taken hits from vicious cyber-attacks and still come back from it. Discussed here will be exactly what you should do if your startup undergoes a breach of data.
Shut Everything Down
The first thing you should do is try to contain the breach and make sure that other servers are not infected. If you think you’re experiencing a cyber attack, you should contact the experts from revisionlegal.com for legal advice and ideas for the next steps. Surely they will advise you to hang onto anything that could serve as evidence, despite the urge you might have to delete everything.
Here are the first things you can do that will not corrupt any possible evidence:
- Disconnect from the internet
- Change all passwords
- Disable remote access
- Install security updates
- Maintain firewall settings
Contacting your lawyer will ensure that those who should be held accountable are and that your road to recovering your data begins the moment you realize a breach.
Notify Your Insurance Carrier
Your cyber liability insurance carrier should know exactly what to do in the case of any kind of cyber attack. You must notify them immediately so they can guide you through the steps that should follow a security breach. If you’re a startup, and you don’t have cyber liability insurance, then you’ll need to find a carrier soon to avoid future attacks. Look at it as an investment in your business. Protecting your company and its clientele should always be priority number one.
Determine the Type of Attack
Knowing the type of security breach that took place is essential for deciding on your next course of action. There are a few types of attacks that can vary in rarity and severity, such as the following:
- Baiting happens when someone downloads malware thinking that it’s a movie or music.
- Phishing allows hackers to get their hands onto sensitive information through email.
- Ransomware will prevent you to access your own data and files until a ransom or some other action is paid.
While all of these attacks have the potential to wreak havoc on a business, none of them are impossible to come back from. Continue reading further to know what to do if you’ve experienced one of these attacks.
Put an Additional Lock on Accounts
Hacker technology evolves just like all technology. So, passwords are no longer enough to protect your data. After you change all your passwords, use two-factor authentication if you have it. All businesses should get a password manager to avoid losing or forgetting passwords. This will allow you to create unique passwords and store them without leaving you vulnerable to having them stolen or lost.
Be Transparent with Clientele
Your lawyers should be able to help you word a sincere apology that will not put you at any legal risk. Many customers might be furious and will threaten with legal action. The key with this is to remain transparent and apologetic without admitting to any particular wrongdoing that could cause people to come after you in court.
Evaluate Your Losses
There could be more information at risk than you realize. If you’ve had even the slightest breach, you’ll need to check in on every single data file in your computer system to see if it’s been corrupted in any way. Personal information such as credit card information, social security numbers, addresses, or others getting into the hands of a hacker could really damage a person’s life. Identity theft is a common aspect of the aftermath of a security data breach and is something that needs to be prevented at all costs.
Provide Cyber Security Training to Staff
Avoiding more cyber attacks in the future should be the first step your startup takes after recovering from a breach. Most attacks happen to employees rather than company heads, making them the number one target for hackers. Studies show that over 50% of cyber attacks target bottom line employees who have no cybersecurity training and couldn’t even recognize a simple phishing attack. Train your staff in cybersecurity, and they will serve as a front line of defense.
If these steps are followed closely, then your startup will definitely recover. Make sure to never slack off on extra security and legal advice after a breach, as these two things will equip you with a baseline of defense in the worst-case scenario.
