The likelihood of a company facing a data breach is steadily increasing. In Symantec’s 2019 Internet Security Threat Report researchers found that overall ransomware attacks against enterprises accounted for 81% of all the ransomware infections in 2018. Massive breaches like WannaCry, the Colonial Pipeline, Facebook, and LinkedIn have all grabbed major headlines in recent years pushing data breach preparedness is at the top of everyone’s minds. In February 2022, 91% of respondents to the 9th Annual Experian Data Breach Survey said they had a data breach preparedness plan in place. Even though more organizations are giving data preparedness more attention, very few are giving the issue sufficient attention. The Ponemon Institute found that 64% of respondents had no set time for reviewing and updating the data breach plan or noted it has not been reviewed or updated since the plan was put in place.
To help you develop your data breach incidence response plan here are 5 tips:
1. Maintain a flexible Incident Response playbook
A data breach incident response playbook is designed to take the team through a data breach disaster, from one activity to the next. The plan needs to be flexible enough to be suitable for most incidents and any unforeseen events. The plan should be tailored to the company and act as a living document, constantly changing to adapt to the company’s evolving functions, technologies, and needs.
2. Review new information risks- and know where to find this information
Data threats are constantly evolving. Keeping tabs on the threats that your organization faces is key to remaining prepared. Checking current threat reports can provide insights into what the most likely threats for your organization are. Some great resources are:
- Data Privacy Monitor
- Privacy Rights ClearingHouse
- Search Data Breach results on Statista
- Office of Inadequate Security
3. Keep tabs on laws & regulations that may affect your plan
Every year, government agencies change their regulations concerning data protection and breaches. For example, the government may change laws governing how quickly you must notify impacted parties of a data breach. Ensure you are aware of changes and that your plan reflects these adaptations.
4. Train your employees
Simply having a plan isn’t enough during a data breach. Ensure your employees have practiced the plan and understand their individual roles.
5. Identify a forensic service provider in your plan
Once a data breach is discovered many companies are left scrambling to find a forensic firm to investigate the causes and impact of their breach. On average it costs companies upward of 55 thousand dollars to conduct and complete a forensic investigation following a breach incident. In its 2021 Data Security Incident Report, BakerHostetler recommends engaging firms that specialize in providing emergency “helping hands” support to companies in the days post a data breach incident. "From resetting passwords to building segmented networks for restoration purposes and executing tasks to support containment, they can relieve internal resource constraints, shorten the time to recovery, and minimize the demand on your IT team," the report says.
Today’s companies rely on information and maintain the integrity of that information to conduct business worldwide. Many organizations bear this responsibility as well as ensuring that the very processes on which their critical information passes maintain its confidentiality and availability. In the unpredictability that is cyberspace, having reliable and customizable cloud-based solutions is an excellent way to keep resilient against dynamic threats. Please contact Cloud Carib to discuss how we can assist you in maintaining your no-downtime enterprise.
