With 98% of businesses suffering a data breach in the last eighteen months, it’s a virtual certainty that you’ll be hit. A well-formulated data response plan will help you mitigate damage and recover quickly.
IT experts agree: it’s much safer to store your data in the cloud than it is to save it locally on your team’s devices. Not least because a reputable cloud computing service has much better cybersecurity than the average small or medium-sized business can possibly achieve.
But that doesn’t mean that you don’t have to be vigilant about your data’s security. Data breaches are a constant threat. In fact, a recent report found that a whopping 98% of all businesses have experienced at least one data breach in the last eighteen months. If your business hasn’t already suffered, it’s a virtual certainty that it will.
Data breaches: the risk factors
This might seem a shocking number, especially since cloud computing is the safer option. And it’s true that the cloud provides excellent protection against cybercriminals. But premeditated cyberattacks are only one risk factor when it comes to data breaches.
No matter how watertight your defences are, there’s always the chance that someone will get access to your data. Maybe a member of your team falls for a phishing scam and supplies sensitive information to a hacker. Or maybe someone leaves their work phone on public transport, and it’s still logged into the cloud.
It’s just too easy for human error to enable the opportunists to win. That’s why every business needs an incident response checklist.
Proactive planning
The high incidence of data breaches – affecting almost all businesses at one point or another – means it’s better to assume the worst will happen and plan accordingly. An incident response checklist helps you minimise damage and come back from a data breach as quickly as possible.
The exact details of your plan will depend on your organisation, your existing infrastructure, and the risks involved. But here are a few things that absolutely must be included.
Key people. When a breach happens, whose responsibility is it to put the plan into action? Once the plan has been triggered, which team members will play important roles?
Internal communication. Who needs to be told? Whose jobs will be affected by a data breach, and how? What do they need to do to limit the damage?
Alternative communication methods. Your clients will need to know that service may be impacted. If your email or VoIP is down, how will you contact them?
Document everything. As soon as the breach arises, record every detail of the issue and document the actions your team take in response.
These are the indispensable elements of any functioning data breach response checklist, but they are just the beginning. You’ll need to carry out a thorough review of your business’s infrastructure, systems and processes in order to create a tailored plan that covers every eventuality.
A reliable IT support partner is your best friend when things go wrong. At Perigon One, we can help you create an action plan to weather any storm. If you’d like to have a chat about working together or find out more about your data breach risk factors, just get in touch.
