It is something that all business owners dread – getting into the office one morning to find out that the whole company network has been hacked into. It could mean that lots of sensitive data and information are stolen, and all of your customer and client details are now no longer safe and secure.
Do you know how you should react if this ever happens to your company? Not many people have a clue on the correct steps to take, this is where this blog post comes in. Here are all of the things you need to do once you think your company has been hacked.
Inform Customers And Clients As Soon As Possible
Even though you might be tempted not to let your customers and clients know about what has happened, they have a right to be informed. Sure, they may be quite angry at first, but that is still no reason to hide what has happened from them. This then gives them the chance to check their bank accounts and personal data to make sure that the hacker hasn’t used your information to target them privately.
Get Outside Help
There is a good chance that your own IT team might not be experienced enough to deal with the aftermath of a hacker attack. There are now lots of companies that specialize in managed IT services for businesses which you can always get to help. Just give them a call, and they will send someone over who will be able to re-equip all your network with the new anti-malware and anti hacker software and programs. Once they secure your network again, they will also be able to try and salvage all your lost data and information.
Contact The Police
It is important that you let the police know about the attack on your company network, especially if the hacker appears to have stolen lots of private information. If this is a coordinated attack that has taken place in a lot of other companies, the police may have already seen cases like this one. The more evidence they can gather from similar cases can greatly help them in their search for the culprit.
Think Of Your Contingency Plan
Ideally, before you even get hacked, you need to create a contingency plan. That’s because an attack from hackers and viruses could cripple your business’s network for at least a week. In some cases, your whole system could be down for at least a month. Having a contingency plan in place can help you act swiftly enough so that your network isn’t taken offline for too long. It’ll also get your business running back to normal as quickly as possible! Make sure that you include contact details for everyone who can help you in the event of a hacker attack. That way, you won’t waste too much time trying to figure out who you can contact for help.
If your business gets hacked, it can be very stressful. Hopefully, these tips will help you overcome it!
