Much attention is focused on helping companies, schools, and public bodies avoid being victimized by a cyberattack. But with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reporting that nearly 850,000 cybercrimes occurred in 2021, it is just as critical to prepare in advance for dealing with such an attack.
Both the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) stress the importance of every organization having a customized “data breach response plan” that can be referenced if the need arises.
According to the FTC, a breach response plan can mitigate the damage from a cyberattack, as it allows for a quicker mobilization to secure your systems and fix vulnerabilities that allowed the breach to occur. The plan should also have the names of computer forensic experts to contact so that precious time is not wasted trying to determine who to call after an attack.
It also addresses what information may need to be preserved for law enforcement, and what type of announcement should be issued at some point to clients, customers, vendors, and investors.
“Staying calm and relying on your response plan will make recovering from a data breach easier to get through,” says Gabriel Reina, CEO of Tucson-based Zinatt Technologies. “It will also allow you to be prepared with a message to your clients or those impacted by the breach.”
Reina adds that being prepared for a worst-case scenario also helps reduce stress and puts in perspective just how many victims of cybercrimes are out there.
“A multi-layered approach to cybersecurity provides the best protection; however, people are frequently the weakest link in the security chain”, explains Reina, whose company provides its patented Quick Tracking Information System (Qtis) software to investigators, political campaigns, and law firms to assist with data tracking and secure file sharing.
The FTC has a free downloadable guide available here.
More information about Zinatt is available at zinatt.com or by contacting Reina at 520-
838-0346.