Contact an IT company that specializes in security
Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 7:13 am
While you can start a conversation with your IT department right now to get an idea of incident response plans, data backups, and a great access management model, the fact remains: You’re probably not an IT security expert. And chances are, no one on your tech team is either. Cybersecurity experts are in short supply, and they rarely stay out of work for long.
Sinchak points out that one of the biggest dangers small businesses face is that they “simply don’t understand the risks they have and, as a result, don’t invest in security measures where they should.”
Sinchak recommends contacting a specialist security firm to assess your risk level, as the "IT guy who wears all the hats" that most small businesses hire could end up making the problem worse.
If you're thinking a consulting professional might not the benefit of our ios database be in your budget right now, Sinchak points out that the cost of a long-term incident could be much higher:
The $2,000 to $3,000 they could have spent to consult with a real expert at the time it happened has now turned into a multi-day business interruption that costs the small firm much more in operating losses.
However, Sinchak notes that, especially if you're a small- to medium-sized business trying to keep costs down, he wouldn't recommend hiring in-house security resources yourself, as their services can be expensive. Once you've worked with them to put together a plan, you may only need to consult with them occasionally.
5. Set yourself up for success with the right tools and partners.
When it comes to partnering with a specialist firm, you should also look at the integrity of the companies you use to ensure they will back you up if something goes wrong.
This may mean talking to your Internet service provider, the company that manages or stores your servers, or the organization that hosts your website.
Trave Harmon, CEO of Triton Technologies , says one of his companies was able to successfully fend off a cyberattack because they chose the right tools and service partners:
Looking back, we were not hacked, breached or had our data stolen because we had the right network, services and partners in place to prevent any kind of attack.
The trend in IT management , especially for small businesses, is to take advantage of cloud services to keep things running smoothly and securely.
McClarty points out some of the benefits of cloud services for small businesses:
Most cloud service providers offer a basic level of security and will enforce security best practices such as minimal password policies and forced password changes. Cloud service providers also typically provide automated backup and recovery of data so you can focus on growing your business rather than IT and information security.
Cloud services can also have reduced operating costs since your IT team won't be responsible for managing servers and patches or installing necessary updates.
If you're interested in moving some of your services to the cloud, you may find a useful how-to guide here.
Has your business been the target of a cyber attack?
If so, what lessons did you learn from this incident? Do you have any other tips for other small businesses to avoid, prevent, or manage cyber attacks? Let me know in the comments below.
If you've been the target of a cyberattack and feel like these lessons don't apply to you, I'll leave you with the words of CTO Mike Catania:
It's important to remember that not all attacks are equal, and just because you've successfully defended against some doesn't mean you're immune to others.
Get out and protect your data before it's too late.
Sinchak points out that one of the biggest dangers small businesses face is that they “simply don’t understand the risks they have and, as a result, don’t invest in security measures where they should.”
Sinchak recommends contacting a specialist security firm to assess your risk level, as the "IT guy who wears all the hats" that most small businesses hire could end up making the problem worse.
If you're thinking a consulting professional might not the benefit of our ios database be in your budget right now, Sinchak points out that the cost of a long-term incident could be much higher:
The $2,000 to $3,000 they could have spent to consult with a real expert at the time it happened has now turned into a multi-day business interruption that costs the small firm much more in operating losses.
However, Sinchak notes that, especially if you're a small- to medium-sized business trying to keep costs down, he wouldn't recommend hiring in-house security resources yourself, as their services can be expensive. Once you've worked with them to put together a plan, you may only need to consult with them occasionally.
5. Set yourself up for success with the right tools and partners.
When it comes to partnering with a specialist firm, you should also look at the integrity of the companies you use to ensure they will back you up if something goes wrong.
This may mean talking to your Internet service provider, the company that manages or stores your servers, or the organization that hosts your website.
Trave Harmon, CEO of Triton Technologies , says one of his companies was able to successfully fend off a cyberattack because they chose the right tools and service partners:
Looking back, we were not hacked, breached or had our data stolen because we had the right network, services and partners in place to prevent any kind of attack.
The trend in IT management , especially for small businesses, is to take advantage of cloud services to keep things running smoothly and securely.
McClarty points out some of the benefits of cloud services for small businesses:
Most cloud service providers offer a basic level of security and will enforce security best practices such as minimal password policies and forced password changes. Cloud service providers also typically provide automated backup and recovery of data so you can focus on growing your business rather than IT and information security.
Cloud services can also have reduced operating costs since your IT team won't be responsible for managing servers and patches or installing necessary updates.
If you're interested in moving some of your services to the cloud, you may find a useful how-to guide here.
Has your business been the target of a cyber attack?
If so, what lessons did you learn from this incident? Do you have any other tips for other small businesses to avoid, prevent, or manage cyber attacks? Let me know in the comments below.
If you've been the target of a cyberattack and feel like these lessons don't apply to you, I'll leave you with the words of CTO Mike Catania:
It's important to remember that not all attacks are equal, and just because you've successfully defended against some doesn't mean you're immune to others.
Get out and protect your data before it's too late.