{"id":30895,"date":"2022-03-01T23:03:16","date_gmt":"2022-03-01T23:03:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grapevinemsp.com\/?p=30895"},"modified":"2023-05-05T10:27:19","modified_gmt":"2023-05-05T10:27:19","slug":"avoid-cyber-attacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grapevinemsp.com\/avoid-cyber-attacks\/","title":{"rendered":"How Can You Avoid Cyber Attacks?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Here\u2019s the bad news upfront: In 2022 you or your business will be the target of a cyber attack. Whether or not the cyber attack will succeed depends on your level of cybersecurity and how prepared you are to minimize the effects of the intrusion.<\/p>\n

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. You can prevent tons of troubles if you think seriously about what you can do to prepare for and, with luck, prevent\u2014or at least minimize -the damage caused by a cyber attack. That damage extends exponentially to your business in terms of ruined finances, diminished reputation, breaches of contract, and legal consequences\u2014fines, etc.<\/p>\n

Luck, as another saying goes, is where preparation meets opportunity. If your preparation includes a robust data backup (and backups of the backup) and a disaster recovery plan that has been tested and supported by senior management you are prepared to cope with and recover from a cyber attack.<\/p>\n

Consider these 4 main points in your preparations:<\/p>\n

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  1. Prioritize cybersecurity in business decisions<\/li>\n
  2. Do vulnerability scanning and follow-up routinely<\/li>\n
  3. Add Endpoint Protection & the Zero-Trust Model<\/li>\n
  4. Find and retain cybersecurity talent (at Grapevine MSP)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Make cybersecurity a part of your business decisions<\/h2>\n

    Business decisions should take into consideration threats to the business. The biggest threat, according to the World Economic Forum<\/a>, is that the costs related to cyber attacks \u201ccould rise to $6 trillion by 2022.\u201d The eclectic list of companies already victimized by cyber attacks and breached \u201creads like a who\u2019s who of the retail, tech, telecom, manufacturing and financial services industries.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Considering the enormous losses in brand reputation, disruption to company operations and finances, cybersecurity has become a fiduciary responsibility of the board and senior management. However, according to the WEF, \u201cin many organizations, top executives and board members still believe that cybersecurity is only an IT issue.\u201d<\/p>\n

    On the contrary, cybersecurity and IT disaster recovery are important elements of business continuity planning, another leadership responsibility. Business continuity plans must be tested and exercised<\/a> regularly and include top management support and participation.<\/p>\n

    So, prioritizing cybersecurity in decisions affecting the survival of the business elevates it as a business function into the board room and filters down to managers. That, in turn, incorporates cybersecurity as an integral part of business decisions.<\/p>\n

    Vulnerability scanning and routine follow-ups<\/h2>\n

    Vulnerability scanning<\/a> is a process that uncovers security weaknesses and system flaws in both your business systems and the software that runs on those systems to help avoid cyber attacks. Vulnerability scans:<\/p>\n