Cybersecurity risks are a major concern for businesses worldwide. A single attack can cost a business millions of dollars to remedy. Roughly 88% of small business owners feel like they're at risk of an attack.
One of the first steps we recommend when offering cybersecurity in Miami is creating an emergency response plan.
What is an Emergency Response Plan?
An emergency response plan outlines the steps and actions you must take in the event that a breach of some form occurs. This is the plan that you and your team will immediately follow and is thoroughly planned out when emotions aren’t running high.
How to Develop an Emergency Response Plan for Your Business
Developing an emergency response plan takes time and resources. No matter how secure you make your business's infrastructure, hackers may still find ways around security measures.
If security measures are circumvented, you'll initiate your plan, which will look something like this:
Create a Response Team
Internal response teams should be created, too. Your team will be responsible for:
- Evaluating the breach
- Response team guidance
- Legal counsel
- Human relations
Your team will also include a WISP responsible manager, operations managers, IT managers and others.
Identify Your Security Resources
Your business should have security resources in place that can help identify and manage security issues. Breaches can rapidly escalate even before you know that they exist.
These resources will improve your response time.
A few of the resources that should be included in your list are:
- Forensic experts
- PR professionals to make statements
- Personnel that can execute your emergency response plan
- Insurance brokers to deal with loss claim notices
These resources, which include internal and external teams, can help your business overcome security concerns.
Build a Prioritized Checklist
When a cybercrime occurs, certain actions must be taken and checked off your list. A few of the items on your checklist should be:
- Securing and recording data from the time of the breach
- Contact internal and external response teams
- Take devices that are suspected to be part of the breach offline
- Interview any internal members with knowledge of the breach
- Contact forensic personnel to duplicate systems
- Rapidly begin taking action
Add crucial items to your prioritized checklist to help you manage your response to security issues.
Review and Update Your Plan
Once you have an emergency plan, you must regularly review and update it. Ideally, the plan will be checked annually for a small business and maybe even quarterly for a large corporation. Changes may also occur, as needed, if:
- Personnel change
- New sub-businesses are added
- Security rights are granted under a new contract
- And more
Of course, these are just the very basics of an emergency response plan. You'll need to take additional steps throughout the process to create a well-thought-out plan.
Small business owners who want to strengthen their cybersecurity and protect against future attacks should develop an emergency response plan. If you need help, we offer cybersecurity in Miami and the surrounding areas, and can assist you with developing a plan.