Have you been able to avoid being hit by computer viruses and malware? If not, maybe you have virus protection, as well as keep all your devices and software up to date. Or maybe you are just lucky.
Unfortunately, the odds are increasing that you or someone in your firm will fall victim to a technology attack. Whether it is a ransomware attack, a spoofing message attempting to gain your login credentials, a malware threat, or unknowingly having used a compromised Wi-Fi network, the important question is what do you do next?
Let's discuss the steps and best practices that everyone can take that will assist in dealing with these types of attacks.
To start, make sure your team knows not to delay reporting any "suspicious" technology experience or event. Encourage them not to worry whether they made a mistake or the potential repercussions. It is more important to investigate a potential attack when it's first noticed than to be silent and hope that nothing bad will happen.
Frequently, we hear about successful cyber-attacks, and the staff member or members impacted can actually recall an earlier moment when they saw an odd error message, some strange behavior on their screen, or an email request to confirm their credentials — to which they responded. Although it may be easy to gloss over little clues, don't be complacent. That is the time when you need to take action.
If you believe that some type of attack might be occurring on your computer, quickly isolate the machine by disabling the Internet connection, disconnecting from your network, and killing any other external connection that might be active on your computer. Basically, you want to minimize any potential damage from the attack infecting your machines or files.
