Preparing your business for a cyberattack isn’t something to put off; it demands immediate, proactive planning.
The steps below form the backbone of a resilient cybersecurity posture and should be addressed before an incident strikes, not during the chaos that follows.
- Create a cyber incident response plan
- Identify crown-jewel data
- Run employee phishing simulations
- Maintain backups with offline redundancy
- Review insurance policies for coverage gaps
- Prioritize assets and backups
- Enforce MFA everywhere
- Educate employees continuously
- Document response protocol
- Test your plan (simulate, iterate)
- Keep vendor contact info handy
- Assign incident leads in advance
- Know your legal obligations
- Secure offsite recovery options
- Review quarterly with a trusted IT partner
In the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats, your organization must take proper precautions. Failure to implement these measures leaves your business vulnerable to devastating attacks that can cripple operations, compromise sensitive information, and damage your reputation with customers.
CMIT Solutions provides comprehensive cybersecurity solutions for businesses that can help safeguard your company from these threats. Our team of specialists will work with you to develop a robust cybersecurity plan tailored to your specific needs.
Our cybersecurity solutions for business are designed to protect your company from evolving threats while keeping your operations running smoothly
Checklist: 15 steps to take when preparing for a cyber attack
Taking proactive steps to prevent a cyberattack is significantly more cost-effective than dealing with the aftermath. This cybersecurity checklist outlines key actions your business should take to strengthen its security posture:
1. Create a cyber incident response plan
An incident response plan is your organization’s roadmap during a crisis. This document should outline specific actions, responsibilities, and communication protocols to follow when a security breach occurs.
Your plan should include containment strategies, recovery procedures, and reporting requirements. Having this plan in place before an incident occurs dramatically reduces response time and potential damage, and it should be part of a broader disaster recovery plan.
Regular reviews and updates to this plan are essential as your business and the threat landscape evolve.
2. Identify crown-jewel data
Not all data carries the same value or risk. Crown-jewel data includes your most sensitive information, such as customer records, financial data, intellectual property, and personally identifiable information.
By identifying these critical assets, you can allocate security resources more effectively. This prioritization helps ensure that your most valuable information receives the highest level of protection.
💡 Consider implementing need-to-know access controls to limit exposure of this data, reducing the likelihood of unauthorized access.
3. Run employee phishing simulations
Employees often represent the greatest weakness in your security infrastructure. Phishing remains one of the most common attack vectors cybercriminals use to gain initial access to systems. According to the 2023 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, 36% of all data breaches in the U.S. were caused by phishing attacks.
Regular phishing simulations help train staff to recognize suspicious emails, links, and attachments. These exercises should mimic real-world scenarios that your team might encounter.
Track results over time to measure improvement and identify areas requiring additional training. This practice builds a culture of security awareness throughout your organization.
4. Maintain backups with offline redundancy
Comprehensive backup strategies are fundamental to recovery from ransomware attacks. Maintain at least three copies of your data, with one stored offline and disconnected from your network.
⚠️ Test your backup restoration process regularly to verify that recovery is possible. Many organizations discover too late that their backups are incomplete or corrupted.
Implement automated backup solutions that run consistently without requiring manual intervention, ensuring continuous protection of new data.
5. Review insurance policies for coverage gaps
Traditional business insurance often doesn’t cover cyber incidents. Review your policies to understand what protection you currently have and where gaps exist.
Dedicated cyber insurance can help mitigate financial losses stemming from data breaches, ransomware attacks, and business interruption. Policy requirements often include minimum cybersecurity standards, such as alignment with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), to qualify for coverage or lower premiums.
Work with insurance providers who understand your industry’s specific risk landscape and compliance requirements. A provider familiar with NIST-aligned practices can help ensure your controls meet evolving underwriting guidelines.
6. Prioritize assets and backups
Not all systems require the same recovery timeline. Develop a tiered approach that identifies which functions are mission-critical and must be restored immediately versus those that can wait.
Document system dependencies to understand how various applications and services interconnect. This mapping prevents situations where you restore one system only to find it cannot function without another.
Create restoration sequence documents that guide IT teams during recovery, preventing confusion during high-stress situations.
7. Enforce MFA everywhere
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access, even when credentials are compromised. Implement this control across all systems, particularly those containing sensitive data.
Ensure MFA is required for remote access, cloud applications, and administrative functions. The added layer of verification dramatically reduces the likelihood of account compromise.
Consider using hardware tokens for highly privileged accounts rather than relying solely on SMS or email-based verification.
8. Educate employees continuously
Security awareness should be an ongoing program rather than a one-time event. Regularly prioritize training employees on cyber security, including current threats, safe computing practices, and your organization’s security policies.
📌Customize training based on job roles, as different positions face different risks. For example, finance departments need specialized training on wire transfer fraud, while IT staff require technical security updates.
Make security part of your corporate culture through regular communications, recognition of good security practices, and clear reporting procedures for suspicious activities.
9. Document response protocol
When a security incident occurs, having clear procedures helps ensure consistent, effective responses. Document who should be notified, what immediate actions should be taken, and how to preserve evidence.
Include contact information for your internal response team, external specialists, and legal team. Consider creating checklists that can be followed even under stressful conditions.
Outline communication templates for various scenarios to ensure accurate, timely messaging to stakeholders during incidents.
10. Test your plan (simulate, iterate)
The only way to verify your response plan’s effectiveness is through realistic testing. Conduct tabletop exercises where teams walk through their response to simulated incidents.
Analyze the results to identify gaps or inefficiencies in your plan. Update procedures based on these findings to continuously improve your response capabilities.
Include executives in these exercises to ensure leadership understands their roles during security events and supports the necessary resources for cybersecurity initiatives.
11. Keep vendor contact info handy
Third-party vendors play critical roles during incident response. Maintain updated contact information for your IT service providers, cybersecurity specialists, and other technical partners.
Establish response time expectations with these vendors before an incident occurs. Understanding their availability and capabilities helps set realistic recovery timeframes.
Consider retaining our specialized incident response firm that can provide immediate support during major security events, particularly if your internal resources are limited.
12. Assign incident leads in advance
Designating specific individuals to lead different aspects of your incident response prevents confusion and delays during a crisis. Assign roles for technical response, communications, legal considerations, and business continuity.
Ensure these leads have received appropriate training for their responsibilities and understand the authority they’ll have during an incident. Clear decision-making chains are essential during high-pressure situations.
⚖️ Identify backup personnel for each role to ensure coverage during vacations, illnesses, or staff changes.
13. Know your legal obligations
Data breach notification requirements vary by location, industry, and the type of information compromised. Understand your legal obligations regarding reporting timeframes and notification procedures.
Establish relationships with legal experts. At CMIT Solutions, we specialize in cybersecurity regulations and provide invaluable guidance during incidents involving regulated data or potential compliance issues.
Create templates for required notifications that can be quickly customized during an actual incident, saving critical time during response efforts.
14. Secure offsite recovery options
Having alternative facilities or cloud-based recovery options ensures business continuity even if your primary location is compromised. Identify these resources before they’re needed.
Document the procedures for activating these recovery options, including necessary credentials and configuration details. Practice failover to these environments periodically.
Consider geographic diversity when selecting recovery locations to protect against regional disruptions that might affect both primary and backup sites.
15. Review quarterly with a trusted IT partner
✔️Technology and threats evolve rapidly, making regular reviews of your security posture essential. Working with an experienced IT partner like CMIT Solutions provides a valuable external perspective on your protections.
Quarterly reviews help identify new vulnerabilities, evaluate emerging risks, and adapt your security strategy accordingly. This ongoing process ensures your defenses remain effective against current threats.
Use these reviews to validate that previous security recommendations have been properly implemented and are functioning as intended.
Want to know if your business is truly protected? Download our free cyber security checklist and uncover 16 essential ways to defend against cyberattacks: Get the checklist now by filling in the form below!
What would happen if there was a cyber attack on your business?
A successful cyber attack can paralyze your operations, resulting in significant financial losses and damaged customer trust.
Most businesses experience up to 21 days of downtime after a cyberattack, and for small businesses, the financial toll can be severe. The average cost of a data breach for companies with fewer than 500 employees is $108,000, which can threaten a business’s ability to recover or stay open.
Ransomware attacks are particularly devastating, as they can encrypt all your data, rendering systems completely inaccessible. Without proper backups, you face an impossible choice: pay criminals (with no guarantee of data recovery) or rebuild from scratch.
💡Hypothetical scenario: Consider a regional manufacturing company that suffered a ransomware attack, locking down its production systems. Despite robust firewalls, the lack of an offsite backup meant they couldn’t fulfill orders for three weeks. They lost key contracts and spent over $350,000 on recovery, all due to a critical gap in their business continuity plan.
Beyond immediate downtime, breaches involving customer data can cause long-term reputational harm. According to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023, lost business accounts for 38% of the total breach cost, often due to customer churn and difficulty attracting new clients.
💡 Real-world example: The Colonial Pipeline attack in 2021 forced a shutdown of a major U.S. fuel supply line after hackers deployed ransomware. The disruption caused fuel shortages across the East Coast, panic buying, and a $4.4 million ransom payment. This incident showed how a single cyberattack can halt operations, trigger a federal response, and reveal major gaps in critical infrastructure security.
How to survive a cyber attack when it happens
The first 24–72 hours after a cyberattack are critical. Your actions during this window can determine the severity of the impact, your legal exposure, and how quickly you recover.
Steps to take immediately after a cyber incident:
- Isolate compromised systems to prevent attackers from spreading laterally through your network. Disconnect affected machines from the internet but preserve evidence for forensic review.
- Activate your incident response team and follow your documented response plan. Notify internal stakeholders and contact external cybersecurity experts if needed.
- Engage legal counsel early to address notification requirements. Many jurisdictions mandate reporting within 72 hours for sensitive data breaches.
- Communicate clearly and consistently with employees, customers, and regulators based on your crisis communication strategy.
A prompt and well-coordinated response can dramatically reduce the cost of a breach by as much as 70%, according to cybersecurity researchers. Businesses with a tested incident response plan recover faster and limit long-term damage, proving that preparation is not just smart, it’s essential.
Need help strengthening your incident response plan? Contact us today to get expert guidance and protect your business before a breach occurs
Building cyber resilience that goes beyond the basics
Cyber resilience requires a comprehensive approach that extends beyond traditional security tools. Here’s how to strengthen your defenses:
- Business continuity planning: Develop strategies to maintain essential functions during disruptions and establish clear recovery objectives for various scenarios.
- Zero trust network architecture: Implement the principle of “never trust, always verify” by requiring authentication for all users regardless of location, eliminating inherent trust within your network.
- MFA and endpoint detection: Deploy multi-factor authentication alongside advanced endpoint protection to identify and block malicious activity before it spreads across your organization.
- Regular vulnerability scans: Consistently test your infrastructure for weaknesses and address identified issues promptly, focusing on critical systems first.
- Penetration testing: Engage ethical hackers to simulate attacks against your systems, identifying potential security gaps before real attackers do.
- Hardware and software updates: Maintain current versions of all systems, as outdated technology often contains known vulnerabilities that cybercriminals actively exploit.
💡 The future of cyber threats includes increasingly sophisticated AI-driven attacks. Deepfake technology now enables highly convincing phishing campaigns that mimic executives’ voices or video appearances, making traditional verification methods inadequate.
Organizations must prepare for this evolution by implementing enhanced authentication systems and training focused on these emerging threats.
Common attack types vs business impact
Cybersecurity incidents are not just technical glitches; they’re operational threats that can disrupt core business functions, damage relationships, and threaten long-term viability. Here’s how different attack types can affect your organization:
| Cyber Attack Type | Example Impact on Business |
|---|---|
| Ransomware | Complete system lockouts lasting weeks, customer trust erosion, average recovery costs exceeding $108,000 |
| Phishing | Credential theft leading to unauthorized access, wire fraud resulting in immediate financial losses, sensitive data exposure |
| Supply Chain Attack | Vendor compromise introducing malware into your systems, potential legal liability for downstream impacts, complex recovery requiring coordination with multiple parties |
| Insider Threat | Data leakage of intellectual property, reputational damage from breached customer information, challenges with attribution and evidence collection |
| Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) | Website and service unavailability causing revenue loss, customer frustration during outages, potential extortion demands to stop the attack |
| Business Email Compromise | Financial fraud through manipulated invoices or payment instructions, relationship damage with vendors and clients, complex remediation involving financial institutions |
Why business protection starts now, not later
Small businesses often become targets specifically because attackers perceive them as having weaker security measures while still possessing valuable data. Delaying cybersecurity improvements leaves your organization vulnerable to threats that can cause permanent damage to your operations, reputation, and financial stability.
Common misconceptions continue to leave businesses exposed. For instance, many believe that “cybercriminals only target large corporations,” when in fact, 43% of cyber attacks specifically target small businesses.
Similarly, the idea that “antivirus software provides sufficient protection” ignores that modern threats easily bypass traditional security tools, requiring layered defenses that include employee training, network monitoring, and incident response capabilities.
Our team at CMIT Solutions can help protect your business from evolving cyber threats. Call (800) 399-2648 or reach out today to schedule a consultation with our security experts.
Our key takeaways on preparing for a cyber attack
Preparation is the foundation of effective cyber defense. By developing comprehensive response plans, regularly testing your security measures, and educating your workforce, you dramatically improve your ability to withstand and recover from attacks.
Remember that cybersecurity isn’t a one-time project but an ongoing process requiring adaptation to new threats. What protected your business last year may not be sufficient today, making regular reviews with security specialists a top priority for maintaining adequate protection.
Effective security balances protection with business needs. While no defense is perfect, implementing the strategies outlined in this guide significantly reduces your risk exposure and positions your organization to respond quickly and effectively when incidents occur, potentially saving hundreds of thousands in recovery costs.
FAQs
What are the first signs your business is under a cyber attack?
Early warning signs include unexpected system slowdowns, unusual login activity, or strange network traffic patterns. You might notice employees getting locked out of accounts, unexpected software behavior, or customer reports of suspicious communications.
Automated security tools may generate alerts about malware detection or unusual data transfers that require immediate investigation.
How quickly should a company respond to a ransomware demand?
Never respond immediately to ransomware demands. First, isolate affected systems to prevent spread, then consult with cybersecurity specialists and potentially law enforcement. Many organizations can recover without paying by using clean backups.
If considering payment, understand there’s no guarantee of data recovery, and you may be funding future criminal activities or violating sanctions.
Can you recover from a cyber attack without paying for data recovery tools?
Yes, recovery without paying attackers is possible with proper preparation. Organizations with comprehensive backup strategies, incident response plans, and appropriate cybersecurity tools can often restore operations from clean data copies.
The critical factor is having recent, verified backups stored separately from your main systems, where they remain unaffected by the initial attack.
What legal or regulatory steps are required after a breach?
Legal requirements vary by location and industry, but typically include notifying affected individuals, relevant regulatory bodies, and potentially law enforcement. Most jurisdictions specify timeframes for these notifications, often 30-60 days after discovery.
Organizations handling health information, financial data, or EU citizen information face additional specific requirements with shorter reporting windows and potential penalties for non-compliance.
Should your business work with law enforcement after a cyber attack?
Engaging law enforcement after a significant cyber incident provides several benefits, including access to intelligence about threat actors and potential recovery of stolen funds in certain cases. The FBI and other agencies can offer valuable guidance during incident response.
However, reporting shouldn’t delay your immediate response efforts, and understand that law enforcement involvement doesn’t guarantee recovery of your data or identification of attackers.
