The Common Flu
Individuals have unfortunately become far too accustomed to security breaches, disregarding them like the common flu. Often, the remedy appears to be free credit monitoring for the affected. But the real threat is lost in that perception of safety and a healthy bounce-back, not just for individuals but for businesses. Many significant risks are escalated after a breach occurs.
The Spread
Data leaks today may not even result in immediate actions. Hackers regularly trade, sell, and resell information on the dark web. The dark web has an echo effect that can persist for years, making the hack that happened this year, in 2020, relevant in 2022, 2025, and beyond. Long-term fraud, cybersecurity, and identity theft issues can emerge. Cyber criminals will continue to spread the data for as long as seen profitable.
Lack of Cure
In the wake of any data loss event, organizations look for heightened vigilance to rebuild IT immunity against further attacks and repercussions. The problem is that most organizations don’t realize the need for this vigilance until AFTER a cyber attack occurs. Just like the flu, there will never be a cure for cyber crime but there is the closest thing to a “vaccine”.
The Vaccine
The cyber crime “vaccine” is a managed security program consisting of a combination of technology, processes and people that will work in conjunction to put your mind at ease. The necessary defenses, monitoring tools, and recovery planning could reduce the cyber risk tremendously.
Just like the flu vaccine, there is no guarantee that putting these processes in place will prevent a cyber attack. However, when comparing the hard cost of a breach to the cost of managed security, the odds are favorable. The average HARD cost of ONE data breach for a small company is $200,000 (not including reputation damage, possible lost client revenue, and downtime) while the average annual cost of a managed security program is $42,000.
Is that a risk you’re willing to take?