Take Control of Your Data Protection and Avoid the Dire Consequence of Cybersecurity Attacks

Featured article by David Raissipour, Carbonite

A cybersecurity breach can happen at any moment. That’s why it’s important for small and mid-sized businesses to take the time to assess and review their business continuity plan. For many, these plans will include disaster recovery solutions that prevent detrimental data loss if and/or when malware attacks their security. Small businesses are more attractive targets for cybercriminals because their data tends to be less secure.

Data is the lifeblood of any small business and must be protected to ensure continuity. Although it’s unpleasant to think about the possibility of an unexpected attack on critical business data, it’s vital that precautions are made to avoid the risk of data loss and to ensure the long-term success of the company.

Carbonite’s David Raissipour, Senior Vice President of Product & Engineering has created a five-step business continuity checklist for SMBs to use to avoid the unthinkable: the loss of mission critical business data.

1. Have a business continuity project manager conduct an initial assessment of pre-existing IT systems

A business continuity project manager should be the person in charge of ensuring a comprehensive plan is created, tested and communicated to the right people. Organizations can find business continuity project managers from career websites such as Dice.com and bring one on as a consultant. There are also many consulting firms that specialize in business continuity. The business continuity manager can assess whether the organization’s IT systems are vulnerable to a variety of attacks. The business continuity project manager will also need to take an inventory of possible cybersecurity risks, including anything from adware to viruses. By assessing each risk’s likelihood and consequences, the company will gain a concrete understanding of each situation’s severity. For a small business, data is one of the most important assets, so it is vital that an IT pro assesses all potential risks of data loss.

2. Help your employees update their password policies

As the number of resources available to managers and employers at a small business grows, so do the number of log-ins for email, Web-based tools, cloud accounts and social media networks. It is important that all employees are aware of the company’s standard best practices when it comes to email logins and passwords. Ensure that employee passwords include a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters and, in some situations, numbers and special symbols. Require that passwords be updated at regular intervals, while encouraging good memory techniques over written-down login credentials.

3. Review mobile device management (MDM) strategies

As the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) movement gains traction in most work environments, most employees have access to multiple mobile devices. From smartphones to tablets, these devices can be hacked if companies are not careful. Take the time to work with your employees on their MDM policies, or help them implement one if needed. This will allow companies to keep track of how their data is being used and avoid a multitude of security, privacy and regulatory pitfalls.

4. Protecting data

After the business continuity manager makes an assessment of risk, consult with him/her to determine next steps. This will allow you to determine recovery time objectives (RTO), the maximum tolerable length of time that a computer, system, network, application or business process can be down following a failure. This information is critical for any business, as it allows owners to return businesses to normal within an acceptable amount of time. It is recommended that companies use a hybrid approach to protect data as efficiently as possible. With both onsite and offsite backup, companies can take advantage of the reliability and redundancy of a second location. This way, your data is always within reach.

5. Back up consistently

Create a backup schedule that is suitable for your business. Many businesses back up once a day; others prefer once a month. Certain backup solutions will automatically back up your data, eliminating the need to remember to do so manually. For more regular backups, look into a cloud-based application to minimize the burden on existing hardware. Backup services that work seamlessly and automatically in the background save companies time and money and are essential to an organization’s business continuity plan. Remember: Without consistent backup, all the other business continuity guidelines become obsolete.