Cybercrime Is On The Rise
It’s really no secret that cyber attacks are on the rise — it’s difficult to engage with any news outlet without hearing about the latest major hack or breach. The year 2019 has been a banner year for cybercriminals, who have pulled off breaches of digital dental records providers and brute-force attacks against healthcare organizations saw a dramatic rise. Hackers are tweaking their approaches to land more lucrative payouts, but businesses are the ones that are suffering. All of this as the cost of data breaches reaches an all-time high according to the Ponemon Institute’s annual “Cost of a Data Breach” report, where the theft of a single record is estimated to cost businesses an average of $150. With cybercrime damages set to top $21 trillion by 2021, it’s no secret that this type of criminal activity is on the rise and may be one of the biggest challenges facing today’s businesses. Here’s what you need to know to help prep your business for the coming deluge of attacks.
Cultivate Cybersecurity Professionals
Do you have IT team members that have indicated an interest in cybersecurity? With the vast shortage of talent in the marketplace, it might be in the best interest of your business to encourage and feed that direction with your staff members. While it’s good to have multiple individuals on your technology staff that have a high-level understanding of the challenges associated with cybercrime, generalists are not enough to keep your business safe. You need access to highly proficient thinkers that are willing to invest the time and research necessary to focus on cybersecurity and protecting your organization. These skills are in serious demand, with some experts estimating a job gap of up to 3 million assets globally over the next several years. What’s worse is that the gap appears to be widening, with hundreds of thousands of open cybersecurity positions in the US at any given time. “Filling the skill shortage will require organizations to change their attitude and approach to hiring, training, and participating in collaborative pipeline development efforts,” said Steve Durbin, managing director of the Information Security Forum.
Actively Participate in Business Continuity Planning
The majority of businesses are now backing up their information to a cloud-based platform, but that is not the same as participating in active business continuity planning. This type of strategic activity supports not only data management but also the ability to re-start your business after a catastrophic event such as a ransomware attack or a natural disaster. Business continuity planning and disaster recovery strategies together help define everything from a communications schedule for your vendors, staff and customers to how to rebuild servers and business systems from remote locations. Re-establishing communication is often one of the first requirements for any business, so you can share ongoing updates with key constituents about the state of your business after an attack. Even a quick blink or short outage of your power can be devastating, causing the loss of critical systems or customer data that would be difficult to rebuild.
Keeping your business safe from the ravages of cybercrime doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time and dedicated attention to ensure that you’re working through any security gaps and creating a more secure future for your business. See if your business is on the radar for cybercriminals and those in the market for sensitive information with a free dark web scan — all you need to do is email MBowe@onsitecomputersinc.com to claim your free scan. The On-Site Computers team works with Minnesota businesses of all sizes from law firms to healthcare to ensure that your business runs smoothly and stays protected. Contact us today at 833-250-7170 for a complimentary review of your cybersecurity and business technology.
