Just Because You’ve Been LUCKY Enough To Avoid A Cyber-Attack Doesn’t Mean You’re Not At Risk
Posted by Jake Cohen

security

If your business hasn’t been the target of malicious intruders or cyber criminals, consider yourself lucky. Hackers are a relentless bunch and they want your information and the ability to access to exploit loopholes in your business’s Internet security. The last few years have been hard on companies all across the globe. These cyber-breaches aren’t going to stop simply because the “damage has been done.” In the US and Canada, reported incidents have affected over 215 million consumers and over 7 million small businesses. That’s only counting the attacks that authorities have uncovered.

 


For cyber criminals, there is no end game.
All too often, small business owners assume they are outside the firing line and hackers aren’t interested in them. While the media focuses on the big cyber-attacks, there are countless other stories playing out at small businesses everywhere. Cyber criminals are constantly in search of loopholes and weak security. Unfortunately, small businesses often have the weakest IT security.

Imagine walking into your office one morning to discover your computer network was breached by a hacker, exposing not only your company’s data, but also all of your client records and private communications. The embarrassment of having to notify your clients and vendors that, because of you, their private and possibly personal information may now be in the hands of cyber criminals. Hopefully that’s the only damage done.

Operations could be halted or severely limited for days, possibly weeks. Your data corrupt to the point of being useless, clients lost. Potential lawsuits and government fines for violating data-breach laws. The exorbitant emergency IT fees to get everything restored to working order fast. There’s the risk of your bank account being drained dry and because you’re a business, you are not protected by the banks in the same way individual consumers are. Any money stolen out of your accounts could simply be gone forever. I know you’re tempted to think, “That won’t happen to us. We’re just a small company. Who’d want to hack us?” Take a moment to remind yourself that just because you’ve been “lucky” enough to avoid an incident like this in the past doesn’t mean you’re not at risk – in fact, that’s a very dangerous way to think.

Have a disaster recovery plan ready to go. Make sure your plan includes one or more ways to get it back up and running ASAP. Once you’ve written out your plan, keep one copy at your office, one at home and one with your IT specialist.

Remember Your Single Biggest Protection Against Cyber Criminals is Backup!

Want help getting a plan together? C
all 215-723-3495 today or fill out the form to the right to request a Data Recovery Assessment. 

Visit NCIbackup.com for more detailed solutions. 

 

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