NEW YORK.- Los cyber attacks against companies are becoming more frequent, and also include small businesses. It’s a worrying trend because a security breach can be very costly and time-consuming if owners don’t have a plan to deal with it.
According to data from Verizon’s 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report, the average cost for each ransomware attack – which uses a type of software malicious code designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid – more than doubled in the last two years, reaching $26,000.
This is partly because there has been a notable increase in the number of ransomware attacks, which account for 24% of all security breaches.
Small businesses should have a plan to prevent cyberattacks. The human element is the cause of 74% of these problems, so owners must ensure that all employees use preventive measures, such as two-step verification, to make hacking more difficult. It may also be helpful to ask employees to periodically change their passwords.
If your business’s security has been breached, it is best to work with your company’s cybersecurity executive or a trusted third-party company to evaluate what happened, as well as the damage suffered. Trying to contain it without having the proper technical knowledge could make things worse.
It is also important to inform the authorities about what happened. In the United States, attacks must be reported to federal authorities within 72 hours after the company is reasonably certain that such an incident has occurred.
Source: AP
