Being prepared for cyber attacks

Know what you have

Document your assets by doing a physical inventory and cataloguing all hardware and software your business uses in a printed list format.

Prioritize your risks

Engage qualified professionals to perform annual security assessments on your computers and any connected equipment. This includes technical and non-technical security control assessments to help you prioritize key issues so that you can work to address them.

Practice good security hygiene

Collect data only when it’s critical. It’s important to back up everything regularly to a disk, tape or the cloud, ideally stored on a secondary system. Software and hardware also need to be maintained, so be sure to check for updates and patch whenever recommended.

Be prepared to respond

Create a robust, proactive incident response plan and start building relationships with your response team now – before you need their help. Be sure your response plan identifies your security, legal and public relations experts, plus your insurance partners.

Consider purchasing cyber insurance

If you’re breached and information is stolen or ransomed, restoring your systems, data and reputation can be costly, and getting things back on track can take days, weeks, or months. That’s why you may want to consider purchasing cyber risk coverage with your business insurance policy.