Losing sleep over managing your business’s cyber security risks?
You’re not alone!
Many business leaders agonize over whether they’re doing everything possible to shield their organization from a cyber attack.
However, cyber threats have become more sophisticated and are happening at an increasingly larger volume.
What does this mean for your business?
Well, it means the days of DIY cyber security should be behind you. After all, running your business is already a full-time job. There’s simply not enough time in the day to balance managing your business while acting as its IT expert.
A business continuity plan can prepare your business to proceed in the event of a disaster. And you should treat cyber threats as a top risk – right alongside Houston hurricanes. However, to be successful, you need to ask the right cyber security questions in business continuity planning.
Cyber Security Measures Belong In Business Continuity Plans
Ask these questions when developing and reviewing your business continuity plan. If you can’t find an answer, then it’s your cue to go back to the drawing board.
Need help devising a business continuity plan that accounts for cyber threats? Contact Brooks IT Services today and we’ll make sure everything is covered.
1. Does Your Business Continuity Plan Include Cyber Attacks As A Top Threat?
A strong business continuity plan will identify likely and unlikely scenarios. The goal is to keep your business running despite a disaster.
Houstonians can swap hurricane stories all day. But you would be doing your business a disservice to only prepare for natural disasters. In fact, you should note cyber attacks as a top threat. Because no matter the weather, you can always be a cyber criminal’s target.
According to Tessian CEO, Tim Sadler, “A ‘what’s the worst that could happen?’ mentality is risky when it comes to cyber security, especially when you consider that three in four businesses have experienced a security incident in the last 12 months.”
So while you implement your business continuity plan, keep in mind that cyber threats should always be top of mind.
2. Will A Cyber Attack Trigger Your Business Continuity Plan?
Your business continuity plan should have a clear list of triggers. Here are a few scenarios to consider:
- Your office loses power (weather-related or not)
- A flood prevents employees from commuting to work
- The world is hit by a new virus, and the office is closed
- A hacker holds your business’s data for ransom
- An employee’s exposed password resulted in company-wide email hacks
The first three scenarios on the list above can easily be solved by preparing employees to work remotely. However, no matter where everyone is working from, they still need to access your business’s filing system.
If a bad actor were to shut down data access, how would you and your employees perform tasks? Moreover, will it trigger your business continuity plan into action?
3. Does The Business Continuity Plan Include Cloud-Based Resources?
If your business runs entirely on in-house servers, then it’s likely your business could use an IT makeover.
Cloud IT services have proven to be extremely beneficial for businesses. During normal times, the cloud offers secure, remote access. Even within a shared office, the days of physically sifting through a file cabinet are over. There’s no longer a need to wait for one colleague to be done with a file so that you can view it for your own work.
However, in times of crisis (weather or cyber-related), cloud-based services are indispensable. Some of the benefits of the cloud include:
- Confidence that your data is backed up
- Remote access from anywhere with an internet connection
- Oversight into who has accessed what files
- Permissions to restrict access to anyone at any time
If your business comes under siege from a cyber attack, you’ll be thankful to have already employed cloud-based software and data storage.
Ready to put your business on the trajectory to success? Reach out to Brooks IT Services and let’s get started.
4. How Do We Identify The Effectiveness Of The Business Continuity Plan In The Event Of A Cyber Attack?
There’s only one way to identify the effectiveness of your business continuity plan in specific scenarios. And that is by putting it to the test.
However, the time of an actual crisis is not ideal for determining whether the plan will be effective. Instead, your business should run through simulated crisis scenarios.
But not all cyber threats are created equal. That’s why you need an MSP who will identify the threats to your business based on recent trends, your business’s vulnerabilities, and more.
Brooks IT Services works with small businesses to optimize systems and security through comprehensive assessments. Not only will we secure your network and make recommendations, but we will also run through scenarios with your team.
This process allows everyone to know their duties in case of a cyber attack. Plus, it provides insights into what works and what needs to change.
5. Does The Crisis Management Process Include Cyber Incident Response?
In an exercise on ransomware preparedness, one company found that its biggest gap in cyber incident response was the company’s communication.
For a business continuity plan to be successful against all cyber threats, it needs a strong cyber incident response. This is another reason why running through scenarios with your entire company is so important.
Work with your IT expert to ensure that your cyber incident response is ironclad (or as ironclad as you can possibly get it). This includes making sure which employees know their assigned emergency tasks. Of course, communication is key in your cyber incident response. So everyone needs to be reachable and have internet access.
6. Is Business Impact Analysis Included In Business Continuity Plan?
From planning to execution, your business impact analysis (BIA) should incorporate your business’s cyber risk management.
The BIA process should:
- Identify the most critical functions, applications, and cyber-related crisis scenarios
- Evaluate how an emergency incident will affect business operations
- Analyze a crisis’s impact on finances, third-party vendors, employees, downstream, and upstream results
Overall, your business continuity plan should incorporate the entirety of your cyber risk management, which includes the impacts on all parties to your business.
7. Do Business Continuity Scenarios Involve Information Security & Business Continuity Teams?
One thing that’s often overlooked in business continuity planning is the increased vulnerability to bad actors. However, you can eliminate many, if not all, of those vulnerabilities by having your information security work in tandem with business continuity.
As a small business owner, you may not have entire teams dedicated to information security and business continuity. But that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. However, the team of experts at BITS can help you identify roles to ensure a surefire defense in the event of an emergency.
Prepare Your Business Continuity Plan With Brooks IT Services
Ensure your business continuity plan encompasses all cyber and environmental threats with the experts at Brooks IT Services.
We work with small Houston businesses to provide the IT expertise you need without breaking the bank. Whether you want an assessment of your current cyber security, are looking into new software, or anything in between – BITS has your back. Contact us today to learn how we can position your business for a successful future, despite any crises that may come your way.