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How to recover from a cyber attack 

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A cyber attack has the power to compromise your company’s operations considerably. Find out how to recover from an attack as quickly as possible.

Every business that uses the internet is vulnerable to cybercrime. When a cyber-attack occurs, it can quickly bring your business to its knees, leading to lost income, damaged systems, and even a poor reputation. For this reason, knowing how to recover quickly from a cyber attack is essential.

Marius Nel, a leading cybersecurity specialist with 360 Smart Networks shares some insights on business must recover from a cyberattack.

Assessing the Damage

After you know a cyber attack has occurred, the first step you will take toward recovery involves assessing the extent of the damage to your systems and data. If the malware involved in the attack is continuing to spread, you should also take steps to isolate it at this time.

Contacting the Proper Authorities

Cyber attacks are carried out by criminals. If you have been a victim of a cyber-attack, you should report this crime to the authorities as soon as possible so they can begin an investigation.

Access Your Back-Up Data

If your organization was prepared for the possibility of a cyber-attack, you should have all of your most important data backed up and stored somewhere off-site. After taking steps to stop the malware from spreading, it is time to access this data and begin rebuilding your operations so you can minimize downtime.

Inform Your Customers

By law, you are required to let your customers know if any of their sensitive information was compromised in a data breach that affected your organization. You should also take the time to inform your customers of the issue if you expect to be operating differently for a while, or if your company will need to suspend operations during the recovery period.

Call the Professionals

Even if you have people on your staff who are responsible for handling your IT needs on a daily basis, you may still need to call a third-party network support provider when you are recovering from a cyber attack. These attacks can cripple your systems and even take your data hostage, so having an expert on the scene to help you recover is highly recommended.

Cyber attacks are no laughing matter, and you need to move quickly if you believe you have been a victim. This is especially important if you operate in an industry that maintains sensitive consumer data, like financial or health records. Keep in mind that the best way to deal with the issue of cybercrime is to prevent your company from becoming a victim in the first place. The more time and energy you invest in prevention, the less likely you will be to succumb to an attack.

Stuart Crawford serves as Creative Director and CEO with Sebring, FL and Fort Erie, ON-based Ulistic, a specialty MSP Marketing firm focused on information technology marketing and business development. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience pertaining to how technology business owners and IT firms can use marketing as a vehicle to obtain success.

 

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