An extensive study by Forrester Research shares some concerning information: more than 60 percent of companies employing two or more people have experienced one or more data breaches during the past 12 months. Without effective cybersecurity protocols in place, businesses lose incredible amounts of money every year, with the average breach being about $2.4 million. And those who are totally unprepared to respond can lose even more.
So what can you do? Here’s how to avoid becoming just another statistic.
How IT Services Companies Address Breaches
Ransomware attacks happen every 14 seconds, and the cybercrime industry is thought to be worth $6 trillion. This is why it’s vital to have a response team in place for when the worst happens.
The Federal Trade Commission posts that when a breach occurs, an IT provider can be mobilized immediately to perform a comprehensive response. The steps they take will depend on the nature of the problem, the type, and the size of the company. It usually begins with doing what is needed to prevent any additional data loss.
An experienced IT provider company will work to minimize the damage in all respects, and can investigate the forensics to learn how the breach occurred. They can also manage your information security, operations, communications, management needs and assist with any human resources or legal issues relating to what happened.
It’s best to let the professionals do their work; according to The Hartford, when business owners try to “patch a hole” on their own, companies can be vulnerable to subsequent breaches. These incidents also have to be reported to state agencies when personally identifiable information is compromised, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Protecting Data With IT Providers
IT providers who specialize in cybersecurity know that cybercriminals target companies that have vulnerabilities, and direct efforts on eliminating those access points. Unsecured and outdated networks, not using virtual private networks (VPN) to log into wi-fi-networks and responding to phishing emails are a few examples of how these thieves access private data and ruin businesses.
Constantly changing technology and laws makes it even more challenging for companies to protect their data, so it is crucial for IT providers to be up to date with the latest tools and laws that govern the industry.
A few of the best ways to limit risk and defend against threats are to have a system in place that has 24/7 monitoring and regular vulnerability scans. Loginradius recommends having a cloud-based Consumer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) solution, a strong defense that provides high-end data encryption for data storage, management and retrieval.
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is also standard for enhanced cybersecurity, and provides another layer of security to protect users and systems. Other areas that IT providers focus on include analyzing network segmentation, security protocols used by vendors who access the systems and comprehensive employee training.
Choosing the Right IT Provider
A managed IT services provider (MSP) can handle all of your company’s IT and cybersecurity solutions, including setting up a system, network administration, round-the-clock service, backup and disaster recovery. They function as outsourced IT departments, and are vital to the success of your business in 2022 and going forward.
When choosing an IT provider in the Albany, NY area, look for ones that are industry subject matter experts. They should offer immediate response times and be able to ensure that your company will have a highly secured IT environment.
TAG Solutions has 30 years of MSP experience. We specialize in cybersecurity and unified communications, too. We also offer free network assessments that can help reveal your system’s vulnerabilities and determine customized solutions to meet your needs. Call us at 800-724-0023 or complete our online “Contact us” form today to learn more.