October was Cybersecurity Awareness Month. It seemed everyday we were hit with news of cyber attacks or the release of hacked emails. While we tend to think of these events away from home, they are not. How many times have you received countless suspicious looking emails in the past week? Did you open them?

For business owners, do you have a cybersecurity plan in place in the event that your company is hit with a cyber attack? But having a plan is only the first step. The next step is training your employees. A recent article by Inforsecurity Magazine states that 80% of US employees lack having cybersecurity awareness.

According to their survey, the overwhelming majority of US employees were not able to recognize malware, disposed of information safely as well as identify other methods that hackers use in order to get into a computer’s network. The major cause for this failure is a lack of consistent training. A cybersecurity breach most often starts when we open an email or click on a link that does not appear to be valid.

Having a cybersecurity plan and training your employees is vital for your company’s health. Relying on your cyber-insurance policy is not sufficient. Lack of planning will result in the skyrocketing of your expenses due to the emergency nature of containing the data breach. Not having a cybersecurity plan is like coming back to your home severely damaged by a hurricane and not having homeowner’s insurance.

As October ends and we head into November, this is a great opportunity to review or even develop a cybersecurity plan. Unlike hurricanes, cyber attacks are sudden and without warning. The most effective way of limiting damages is through preparation.

Please do not hesitate to contact us to help you review your cybersecurity plan or develop one that is tailored for your company.