Seven out of 10 businesses are not prepared to withstand a cyber-attack, according to the 2018 Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report. You know IT security is essential but might not have the time or are unsure about how to tackle your cybersecurity challenges. And, while cybersecurity isn’t something that you can touch, having this protection against a data breach can help reduce downtime, legal liabilities and financial losses.
You may not think your business has an immediate need for cybersecurity because you haven’t experienced a data breach. But just ask any business owner who has had to deal with the hacking consequences of downtime, reputation damage and data loss, and they will tell you preventing a cyber-attack is way better than recovering from one. Productivity comes to a halt and instead of growing their business, they are busy salvaging it.
Your data is irreplaceable, and once it’s gone, there’s little you can do to get it back. It’s essential you keep it secure. When you don’t have a solid security plan in place, a hack can greatly impact your business.
Impact of a Poor IT Security Plan
- [icon type=”angle-double-right” class=”fa fa-li accent”]Costs of IT downtime – An average of 545 staff productivity hours are lost per year due to IT downtime, according to Small Business Trends. If your business can’t withstand downtime and the associated costs, then having a cybersecurity plan in place is key to prevent hackers from bringing your business to a standstill.
- [icon type=”angle-double-right” class=”fa fa-li accent”]Damaged reputation – Trustworthiness is a key attribute that influences whether a customer will do business with you. Negative press due to a data breach could impact your clients’ opinions about your business which could result in a tarnished reputation and long-term financial losses.
- [icon type=”angle-double-right” class=”fa fa-li accent”]Potential legal consequences – Data breaches often cost more than the initial data recovery fees as they may lead to fines, penalties and litigation. If sensitive customer data is stolen, your company could face legal consequences for not following state and federal cybersecurity regulations. IT security systems can help keep your business safe and compliant with regulatory boards to safeguard customer data.
Suffering the consequences of not having a comprehensive cybersecurity plan in place is painful. It’s vital you secure your business. Check your cybersecurity readiness by answering yes or no to the following 10 statements.
Check Your Cybersecurity Readiness:
- In the past six months, I had a security assessment performed on my IT network.
- I provide frequent and ongoing training to my staff on current cyber-attack methods.
- I have a detailed IT disaster recovery plan in place.
- Our networks are monitored, and our files are automatically backed up daily.
- I could control my network connections and shut a hacker out if we were being attacked.
- Our malware/anti-virus protection is up-to-date.
- All employee devices are protected and encrypted.
- Updates are automatically pushed to employee devices.
- Our sensitive data files are encrypted when shared and at rest.
- We test our infrastructure regularly and conduct penetration tests.
If you can’t answer yes to all of the statements above, it’s time to take action to improve your IT security. Schedule a complimentary security assessment with On-Site Computers to let us help you identify what areas of your security plan need strengthening so you can be sure your data is protected. Contact us online or at 800-669-8513 to learn more.
