Many companies will be hacked at some point and even though a hacker attack can potentially ruin a good business, there are many ways to help companies recover. Be proactive and make sure you have a plan in place to help you bounce back from a digital attack.
Find the Problem Source
The first step in any emergency is to find out exactly what happened. Determine what accounts and computers have been compromised and find out what data was stolen. It can be very difficult to determine exactly what computers and accounts were affected, which is why you may want to consider hiring a professional service. IT services like Bedrock’s managed services in Ottawa have experience working with small local businesses and can help reestablish security and protection. You might also involve the police or legal services if the hack resulted in theft.
Fix the Problem
You may need to take some drastic steps in order for your business to recover smoothly. For example, you may need to shut down your website and remove the infected computers. You will also need to have the hacked computers reformatted or purchase new ones to restore a secure server for your business.
Prevent Attacks from Occurring In the Future
There are many preventative measures you can use to reduce your chances of being hacked in the future. Make sure all the software on your computers is current and consider designating one computer for online banking. Employees should not check the email or surf the Internet on a computer that has been designated for banking or storing sensitive information.
It is also important to train your employees since they often unintentionally do things that put businesses at risk. You should warn about clicking on emails that come from unknown senders and consider installing web filtering software so they can avoid accessing compromised websites.
Inform Your Customers
You should inform your customers of the attack as quickly as possible. If you let them know you are doing all you can to fix the damage and prevent another one from occurring, you can help reestablish trust. Keep in mind that most states require that businesses inform clients of a hacker attack if personal or financial information was stolen.
There are many steps your company can take to redeem itself after a hacker attack. Make sure you find your weak areas and where you were breached so you can fix the problem and prevent other emergencies. If you are honest and up front with clients and consumers you can still retain loyal business.
"Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most her time hiking, biking and gardening. For more information contact Brooke via Twitter @BrookeChaplan."