NEW YORK (AP) — Cyberattacks on businesses are on the rise, including small businesses. It’s a worrying trend because a breach can be very costly and time-consuming if property owners don’t have a plan to deal with it.
According to Verizon’s 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report, the average cost per ransomware attack – which features a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid – it has more than doubled in the last two years, to $26,000. .
This is in part because there has been a dramatic increase in ransomware attacks, which account for 24% of all breaches.
Small businesses must first have a plan to prevent cyberattacks. The human element is the cause of 74% of breaches, so owners must make sure all their employees use safeguards, such as two-factor identification, to make breaches difficult. Requiring employees to regularly change their passwords can also help.
If your business has been breached, it is best to work with a cybersecurity executive at 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 about what happened. Attacks must be reported to federal authorities within 72 hours after the company is reasonably certain they occurred.
