Contrary to our beliefs, it is quite often that organizations witness a data breach situation despite considerable investments in their IT security. With the advancement of technology, hackers have also levelled up and become innovative. If a top organization like Facebook can become a victim, what makes you think you aren’t next?

A data breach has become inevitable for many big and small companies. If your data ever gets breached, you should know what to do to minimize the damage instead of doing nothing and letting the attackers take every valuable piece of information they can get their hands on. In this article, we will discuss what steps to take after you’ve been compromised.

WHAT TO DO AFTER A DATA BREACH?

1. DISASTER RECOVERY

The first step after a data breach is disaster recovery. Agile Managex Technologies’ backup and disaster recovery services in the UAE ensure you regain access to your crucial data and applications in little time. Our services reduce business downtime, which can be costly and affects your customer satisfaction.

2. CHANGE PASSWORDS

As soon as you get notified regarding an unusual activity or a breach, immediately change passwords. It is important to note that apart from changing the password of the affected account, also change the passwords of all the other accounts. Another important thing is to never use the same passwords for different accounts. Even if one of the accounts gets breached, you don’t want hackers to breach other accounts by using the same password and stealing valuable data.

3. FIND OUT WHAT WAS BREACHED

You may find out about the data breach; however, you might not know what sort of data was infiltrated. The breach might consist of essential customer data or the company’s financial information, which are both very valuable. That is why a business needs to determine what data was breached. Nothing should be taken lightly at this stage. Even an exposed Email address of individuals can lead to personal data being compromised and start a sequence of hackings.

4. NETWORK SHUT DOWN

To prevent the hackers from going further into your network, shut down all the networks or go offline instantly to minimize the damage and contain the situation. Moreover, change the settings and passwords of your network and servers.

5. INVESTIGATE

What has happened cannot be changed. However, one can learn from it and prevent it from happening again in the future by carrying out an investigation. It is imperative to find out how the breach occurred. One of the major causes of a breach is human error, such as using a corrupt USB, accessing a phishing email, forgetting to log out of the system or clicking on a virus link. Moreover, the business might have outdated software running, or the IT team may have failed to do a risk analysis of the servers and system. Therefore, finding out about the attacks is vital to prevent them from happening again.

6. INFORM CUSTOMERS

The business’s responsibility is to protect its customers from any harm. Therefore, inform the customers immediately about the attacks through SMS, Email or personal call. Failing to notify customers on time can have legal consequences for business entities. If a customer’s data gets compromised or their financial information is breached, the company can be held liable for any damage.

7. AVAIL OF CYBER LIABILITY INSURANCE

When a business loses its data, it sets the organization back in the industry and causes a loss of money, reputation, and potential settlements. To protect yourself against such costs, it is a wise idea to get cyber liability insurance. If you have been breached once, it is possible to happen again in the future, so be better prepared.

Conclusion

Agile Managex Technologies recommends that you opt for managed IT security services to protect your business against cyber threats. We offer this service remotely and on-site to cater to all preferences and requirements.