Cyberattacks can happen anywhere. Hackers who gain access to their system can affect anyone. While most people try to focus on preventing a cyberattack, they seem to forget about the aftermath of one should it happen.

Isn’t it Easy to Recover from a Cyberattack?

Recovering from a cyberattack is NOT that simple. The popular belief that it is easy to recover by simply rebooting your system or installing a new software is false. In a majority of cyberattack cases, the road to recover is long, complex, and even costly.

The damage goes beyond just the system being affected. There are consequences for suffering from a cyberattack that can linger for a long time before the victim can fully recover. Some of these include financial loss, brand reputation, a lack of trust among customers and employees, and regulator compliance being impacted.

Why It’s Not as Simple as it Sounds

When a hacker infiltrates the system, they can steal or corrupt data. There are many cases where it is difficult, or even impossible, to recover the stolen data. Even if proper backups are in place, they may also be compromised. Restoring lost data can take as quick as a few hours, to as long as days or weeks; the more data that was stolen, the longer it will take, the more likely it might not be fully recovered.

Even if an organization detects a breach in the system, the hackers can always try again. They can leave behind “backdoors” in the system so they can re-enter again at a future point. The victim will have to hastily scan, test, and monitor their systems for lingering threats, which slows down the road to recovery.

An incident like a cyberattack should be reported to authorities. However, regardless of how dire the situation is, the incident report will take time to fill out and submit. The process cannot be completed overnight. It requires a team of cybersecurity experts, legal teams, and law enforcement, which is why it takes so long to complete.

More than Financial Loss

When a cyberattack happens, hackers can steal more than data. They may even make fraudulent withdraws or purchases, but regardless, they want to steal money from their victim.

However, there are more consequences aside from financial loss. Depending on the industry and the location, a cyberattack may trigger a mandatory protocol, in which the victim must report to data protection authorities, customers, and stakeholders. The affected organization MUST follow these protocols and meet strict deadlines, or else they will face fines or legal action.

A business’s reputation can be tainted by a cyberattack. Customers most likely may lose trust in the business, whether or not it was their data specifically that was compromised.

Perhaps, the worst consequence is the financial strain. A cyberattack is expensive! Victims may face costs that include system restoration, legal and regulator fees, a loss of business, and sometimes even ransom payments.

The Danger of a Cyberattack

The road to recovery from a cyberattack is complex. It is more than just an IT issue; it’s a multi-leveled crisis that affects all aspects of the business. Because of this factor, small businesses struggle more with recovering from a cyberattack.

Smaller businesses may lack the resources to bounce back, and they may NEVER bounce back after suffering from a cyberattack. According to some reports, about 60% of small businesses close no later than six months after a cyberattack has damaged their business and reputation.

It’s more important than ever for people to ensure that they have proper cybersecurity measures established. Set up backups, train your employees, report the incident as soon as it happens. The faster you react and take action, the lesser the damage.

For more information, feel free to read the full article from Cybersecurity Insiders

Link: https://www.cybersecurity-insiders.com/why-its-not-that-easy-to-recover-quickly-from-a-cyber-attack/

About Advanced Network Consulting

Advanced Network Consulting is a Southern California based IT consulting company focused on the small business market. For businesses in Southern California or a business that has an office in LA or Orange County, Advanced Network Consulting offers on-site and remote network and server support.

Hoping to improve the work efficiency of your computer? Need to strengthen the cybersecurity of your device? We offer a complimentary one-hour onsite evaluation, and our network and server solutions will ensure that your business continues to be operational.

Contact us through our site: https://www.ancsite.com/

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