NEW YORK (AP) — Cyberattacks against businesses are increasing, including against small businesses. This is a worrying trend because a violation can be very costly and time-consuming if owners don’t have a plan to address it.
According to the Verizon 2023 Data Breach Investigations report, the median cost per ransomware attack – which involves a type of malware designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid – has more than doubled in the last two years to $26,000. .
This is partly due to the dramatic increase in ransomware attacks, which account for 24% of all breaches.
Small businesses must first have a plan in place to prevent cyberattacks. The human element is behind 74% of violations. Owners should therefore ensure that all their employees use protective measures such as two-factor identification to make it more difficult to get hacked. Requiring employees to change their passwords regularly can also help.
If your business has been breached, it’s best to work with a cybersecurity manager within your company or a trusted third party to assess what happened and the damage caused. Trying to contain it without having the proper technical knowledge can only make things worse.
It is also important to inform the authorities of what happened. Attacks must be reported to federal authorities within 72 hours after a business is reasonably sure they took place.
