When you’re a busy business owner or manager, cybersecurity may not be one of your top priorities. Unfortunately, letting cybersecurity fall to the wayside could be one of the biggest mistakes you make with your company. If the reason for your lack of focus on cybersecurity is a product of simply not knowing what steps to take or why it is important, these FAQs (presented to you by QS2 Point) can help.
Why Should Businesses Care About Cybersecurity?
If you need to ask this question, you haven’t been paying attention. That’s because just in the last year or so, data breaches and online attacks have resulted in over 36 billion private records being exposed. While larger companies like Microsoft and Facebook have suffered the most, small-to-medium sized businesses are the most likely to be targeted by online criminals.
The price tag of these breaches? Recent reports estimate that each leaked record could cost your small business $146 or more, depending on the sort of information included. Multiply that by the number of customers you have, and the costs could be enough to sink your startup.
It’s also worth noting that these are only the initial costs of a successful data breach. If you neglect cybersecurity, you could also open your business up to potential lawsuits. Negligence could cause you and your business to be held liable for any expenses affected clients incur due to the breach, and you could end up shelling out a fortune in damages.
What Steps Can Businesses Take to Prevent a Breach?
Knowing that a single breach can cost your mid-sized business millions is disheartening; fortunately, protecting your data can be fairly simple. One of the most effective and effortless steps you can take is to hire a company to take care of online security for you. Particularly if you have staff who are working remotely and relying on home office security.
Awareness and training can also be invaluable. The FCC offers some of the most updated guidance in terms of cybersecurity best practices for businesses, so be sure to check this official website out. You’ll find information on securing devices, training staff and so much more.
How Should Businesses Respond to a Successful Breach?
Ignoring the importance of cybersecurity, relying on DIY solutions, and failing to properly train employees are all some of the most common mistakes made by businesses. These mistakes can lead to serious consequences, but one of the most fatal mistakes is to ignore a mistake.
Although training and having reliable protection can help prevent some mistakes, you’ll need a disaster recovery plan in the event that something compromises your data. According to Commvault, 93 percent of businesses without a disaster recovery strategy go under roughly a year following a serious cybersecurity issue. In other words, this isn’t something you should take lightly. Fortunately, there are software solutions available that can help you recover important data quickly, allowing you to get back to doing business.
You should also be aware of legal requirements that dictate how and why companies are required to disclose data leaks to their clients and business partners. Although there is no federal law covering these notifications, most states do have some sort of requirement.
As a business owner or manager, you work hard for success and stability. So don’t let a data breach or cybersecurity incident derail all of that effort, time, and dedication. Make protecting your business from online threats a top priority, even if that means finding room in your budget to hire an outside service or consultant. That way you can worry less about cybersecurity and save your focus for other pertinent tasks involved with running a successful business.
QS2 Point wants to help your business stay innovative in the age of digital transformation. To learn more, please get in touch by emailing sales.info@qs2point.com.
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