From Colonial Pipeline to Zoom to SolarWinds, cyberattacks are on the rise. It’s a race between COVID-19 and cyberattacks to see which can cause the most havoc. There are state guidelines to prepare businesses when employees are exposed to COVD-19 such as contact tracing and mask mandates. However does your business have a response plan in place in the event of a ransomware attack or data breach? Does your business have cybersecurity insurance? Do you know which authorities you should contact to report cyberattacks?
Criminals are becoming more creative at finding ways to gain a victim’s trust and getting them to give up sensitive data. Small businesses have been robbed by thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars, as a result of hacking schemes. One scheme that appears to be popular now is a hacker pretending to be an employee or vendor. The hacker sends an email to inform the victim he has changed banks and will need his direct deposit or payment sent to the new bank account. The email address and content may look legitimate. However, make sure you pick up the phone and verbally confirm with the employee or vendor of the bank account change. This simple step is a good start at protecting your business against cybercriminals.
Other steps to take consist of regular employee training, making sure you have appropriate cybersecurity insurance and having a response plan in place in case of an attack. Don’t wait any longer to make data security a priority. The next attack could happen tomorrow.
Here are some resources that can help you make a plan:
- https://www.cisa.gov/be-cyber-smart/report-incident
- https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/cyber#Respond-and%20Report
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