Has Your Organization Already Been Hacked?

You may think you are doing everything right when it comes to protecting your computer systems, but there’s more to it than just an antivirus and a firewall.

These are important components, but will not protect your organization from hackers by themselves.  

How can you tell if the cybersecurity you have in place is strong enough to withstand hackers? Well, you really can’t. But you can look at what your cybersecurity is doing and do your best to strengthen it. 

You have weak cybersecurity if your organization has already experienced a breach, ransomware or data loss. Lightning may never strike twice, but in cybersecurity hackers always come back to their victims. Why is that? Hackers see their past victims as future targets.  

In their eyes, your organization is an easy mark. They already have a playbook from the first time they attacked you; why would a second time be any different? Sometimes they even make back doors for themselves so they can make it easier to hack you again and again.  

So what can you do to make sure your organization isn’t hacked again?

Really take a look at what you have in place when it comes to cybersecurity. Take a look at who you have running everything behind the scenes. And then reach out and see what a vCSO can do to help protect your business from being hacked again.  

Here are 3 simple steps any organization can take to determine if you are an easy mark:  

1. Identify your critical data assets and sensitive data – what are the most important items in your organization when it comes to protecting your organization’s ability to services its clients?  

2. Ask your IT team what steps have been taken to make sure this data isn’t stolen or damaged. Create a list of what they tell you. Ask how long it would take to recover from backups if that data were damaged.  

3. Have a third-party review outside of your network for vulnerable services or easy ways attackers could get in. This is something that most cyber insurance companies require and is an easy indicator that you are a target.  
   

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The key here is to find out more and ask questions. As the leader of an organization you are responsible for making sure your organization’s data is secure. Ultimately the buck stops with you. 

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