5 Essential Steps to Take After a Cybersecurity Breach

Your devices are running slowly, crashing, and there has been activity on your account that you didn't authorize. One of your employees admits they’ve been using the same password for every account for years. Could a hacker have gained access to your business’s systems? What do you do?

Cyberattacks and data breaches are a constant threat to businesses, regardless of their size. Given that human error accounts for 95% of breaches, vigilance is paramount. The moments immediately following the detection of a breach are crucial, as a rapid and well-planned response can significantly mitigate potential damage.

Cyber attack recovery requires a clear plan. This guide outlines the five steps your organization must take immediately after a breach to minimize the impact, secure your systems, and begin the recovery process. Acting decisively with a structured approach can prevent further harm.

1. Act Fast—Contain the Breach

Cyber attacks can be devastating; in fact, 60% of small businesses shut down within 6 months of a cyber attack. Your priority is to stop the attack from spreading further across your network. Isolate the threat and limit the damage as quickly as possible.

• Disconnect Affected Systems: Disconnect any compromised computers, servers, or devices from the network physically, virtually, or both.

• Limit Access: Immediately disable or restrict user accounts, access points, and remote connections that may have been exploited. This cuts off the attacker's entry points.

• Stop the Attack: If the breach is ongoing, take action to stop any unauthorized activities. This could mean shutting down specific processes or services that are being targeted.

Acting fast is key to preventing data loss and system-wide compromise.

2. Determine What Has Been Affected

Once the immediate threat is under control, the next step is to discover the degree of the breach. A thorough assessment is necessary to understand what has happened and how to proceed with cyber attack recovery.

• Identify Breached Systems: Pinpoint exactly which systems, networks, applications, and data sets were accessed or compromised during the attack.

• Assess the Type of Attack: Determine the nature of the breach. Was it a ransomware attack, a phishing incident that led to credential theft, or a direct data exfiltration event?

• Determine the Severity: Evaluate the potential impact on your business operations, customer data, and intellectual property. This will guide the priority and intensity of your response.

Knowing what you are dealing with ensures that your cyber attack recovery plan is effective and targeted to the issues caused by your breach.

3. Notify Key Stakeholders and Authorities

Communication is a crucial element of breach response. Keeping the right people informed makes for a coordinated effort and helps manage legal and reputational risks.

• Inform Internal Teams: Alert your IT security, management, and executive leadership teams immediately so they can activate their respective response protocols.

• Notify Legal and Compliance Teams: Engage your legal counsel to ensure your response is in line with all legal obligations and regulatory requirements.

• Alert Affected Parties: Make any customers, partners, or employees whose data may have been jeopardized aware of what has happened. Timely and honest communication is vital for maintaining trust.

• Report to Authorities: Some industries or locations legally require you to report the breach to regulatory bodies like those enforcing GDPR or HIPAA, as well as law enforcement agencies.

By transparently reporting, legal repercussions may be mitigated, and you can demonstrate your commitment to protecting stakeholder interests.

4. Uncover the Source of the Breach

Prevention of future attacks is the next priority. This is done most effectively by understanding how the breach originated. Investigating the root cause will reveal which security weaknesses need to be improved.

• Conduct a Forensic Investigation: Engage cybersecurity professionals to perform a detailed forensic analysis. They can trace the attacker's steps and preserve evidence.

• Analyze How the Attack Happened: How did the attacker access your system? Find the specific vulnerability that was exploited. This could be anything from a weak password to an unpatched software system.

• Fix Vulnerabilities: Once the root cause is identified, take immediate action to fix it. This may involve patching systems, updating security protocols, or enhancing access controls.

The "how" is the blueprint for building your cyber attack recovery plan. It strengthens your defenses and prevents the same type of attack from happening again.

5. Communicate and Rebuild Trust

And finally, you must manage the public perception of the breach. Take concrete actions to restore the confidence of your customers and partners.

• Public Communication: Develop clear, transparent messaging for stakeholders and the public. Explain what happened, what data was affected, and what you are doing in response.

• Offer Solutions: Provide support to those affected. This might include offering free credit monitoring services or instructing users on how to change their passwords.

• Strengthen Future Security Measures: Publicly commit to and demonstrate how your organization is improving its security posture. This could include new staff training programs, upgraded firewalls, or implementing multi-factor authentication.

Regaining trust is, arguably, the most important part of the cyber attack recovery process. It requires consistent communication and visible, meaningful actions to show that you are dedicated to keeping partners' and clients' data secure.

Rebuild Your Organization’s Security

By following these five steps, your organization can overcome the challenges of a cyber attack with confidence, minimize damage, and repair the holes in your cybersecurity.

At Integrated Computer Services, we provide expert guidance on cybersecurity compliance and managed security services.

Contact us to create your own cyber attack recovery plan.