Cyber Security Guide: Navigating the Chaos After a Cyber Attack
Imagine this scenario: You're a business owner, and one day, everything grinds to a halt. Your systems are compromised, data is inaccessible, and you realise you've been hit with a cyber-attack.
It doesn't matter if you're a founder of a startup, a small business owner, the CTO at an enterprise, or working at TfL; cyber attacks can, will and do happen to businesses in every industry imaginable.
You read about it all the time. Three months in 2024 saw huge cyber headlines, from the CrowdStrike outage to cyber attacks on London's tube network.
But how often do you read about the questions you're actually left with post-attack: what do you do next? Not often, and not until it's too late, we'd guess.
Don't worry; we're here to walk you through what steps to take immediately after discovering a cyber attack, how to recover, and how to bolster your defences against future threats to safeguard your digital assets.
Understanding the Attack
Types of Cyber Attacks
Before anything else, it's crucial to understand that cyber security - and the relevant attacks - are far from straightforward. Near enough, every type of technology you interact with evolves and becomes increasingly more complex or sophisticated over time, right? With that said, this is no different.
Cyber attacks come in various forms, each with its unique mode of operation and impact. Some common types include:
Phishing: Deceptive emails that appear legitimate but aim to steal sensitive information.
Ransomware: Malicious software that encrypts data and demands payment for its release.
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS): Overwhelms systems with traffic, causing disruptions.
How Cyber Attacks Occur
Understanding how cyber attacks unfold can help you identify vulnerabilities in your system.
Typically, attackers exploit weaknesses in software, hardware, or human behaviour. For instance, phishing attacks often target employees through fake emails, tricking them into divulging confidential information - which could either be used directly by the hacker or listed for sale on the Dark Web and bought by a malicious outsider.
Ransomware can infiltrate systems via malicious downloads from untrusted websites, while DDoS attacks leverage compromised computer networks to flood your servers.
Immediate Response
Stay Calm and Assess the Situation
When you discover a cyber attack, the first step is to stay calm.
Panicking can lead to rash decisions that may worsen the situation. Unless you have the capabilities and skilled staff in-house, you should find an IT company or MSP to help as soon as physically possible.
The most immediate step is to assess the scope and nature of the attack and try to determine which systems are affected - where possible, try to isolate them to prevent further spread.
It's not a small task, but external help can help remove the emotion and panic from the situation.
Disconnect and Contain
Next up, it's all about damage limitations.
To contain the attack, disconnect the compromised systems from the network, which includes unplugging Ethernet cables, disabling Wi-Fi connections, and shutting down affected servers.
Containment prevents the attacker from accessing other parts of your network and can provide insight into recovery and getting back on your feet.
Notify Your Team
Inform your internal IT team and any relevant stakeholders about the attack.
If you have an incident response plan, activate it. Ensure all team members know their roles and responsibilities during this critical time and pull together as we head toward the next step: recovery.
Recovery Plan
Conduct a Thorough Investigation
Before initiating recovery efforts, you need to investigate what's happened and detail these three steps:
Conduct a detailed investigation to understand the extent of the damage.
Identify the type of attack, entry points, and compromised data.
Use forensic tools and consult with cybersecurity experts if needed.
Data Restoration
Once the attack has been contained and the investigation completed, restore your data for business continuity.
At Fifosys, we regularly stress the importance of data backup to all our partners. If you have backups, use them to recover lost or corrupted files.
Ensure these are clean and malware-free before restoring them to your system. Otherwise, we could be back to square one immediately.
Top tip: Regularly test your backup processes to ensure they work effectively during a crisis.
System Repair and Validation
Once you have established the attack, contained it and begun to restore your systems, we need to repair the damage and any vulnerabilities that the attacker exploited.
Conduct thorough system scans to confirm that no traces of malware remain. Doing so might involve patching software, updating security protocols, or replacing compromised hardware, so conduct thorough scans to confirm that no traces of malware remain. Again, this is no small task and is a job best suited to a cyber security expert; if a trace remains, it could lay dormant for a few months and then come back as a more significant cyber attack than the first time out.
Take the time also to validate the integrity of your systems to ensure everything is functioning correctly.
Long-Term Security Measures
Enhanced Security Policies
Implement robust security policies to prevent future attacks. These include regular software updates, strong password protocols, and multi-factor authentication. You must ensure all employees adhere to these policies consistently.
Employee Training
Human error is a significant factor in many cyber attacks and often the root cause. If you think of the adage "a chain is only as strong as its weakest link" and apply it to your network, that weakest link is your staff and users.
For the record, we're not advocating having an AI-only workforce, nor are we suggesting your staff are a lost cause (the very opposite, in fact).
Staff are the heartbeat of any business, and you can absolutely secure this aspect by investing in regular cybersecurity training for your employees.
Some MSPs will run free webinars and roundtable discussions to help educate your staff on recognising phishing attempts, handling sensitive data securely and responding effectively to potential threats.
Advanced Security Tools
Threats aren't the only thing evolving - thankfully, defences and tools are too. As the AI revolution moves through the gears, it's showing no sign of slowing down, either.
These days, an array of advanced security tools, such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and antivirus software, are waiting to be utilised.
You should consider employing endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions that provide continuous monitoring and automated threat detection.
The Importance of Professional Help
Consulting Cybersecurity Experts
Recovering from a cyber attack and fortifying your defences is far from straightforward - it requires specialised knowledge, care and attention. As established earlier, if you get it wrong - or only half deal with the issue - you can be back to square one on the other end of a secondary attack; only now the hackers know how you've approached the defences, too, so it can be even more complicated to fix.
Consulting cybersecurity experts can provide you with the expertise needed to address complex threats. They offer insights on the latest attack vectors and best practices in cybersecurity.
Managed Security Services Providers (MSP)
Engaging a Managed Security Services Provider (MSP) can significantly enhance your security posture. MSPs offer continuous monitoring, threat detection, and incident response services.
Often, costs are lower than you'd imagine, and they integrate with your in-house IT department to bring a wealth of experience and resources, all of which are vital to protecting your business from future cyber attacks.
Building a Strategic Partnership
Consider building long-term strategic partnerships with IT and cybersecurity firms. These partnerships ensure access to the latest security technologies, 24/7/365 maintenance and monitoring alongside expert guidance, helping you stay ahead of emerging threats.
The Last Word
In the digital age, cyber attacks are an inevitable risk for businesses of all sizes - if the NHS, the BBC or the MoD aren't safe from breaches (and the latter even has 'defence' in their name), what makes you think you're not a target? In short, you are.
However, we promise it's not all doom and gloom.
With the proper knowledge and preparation, you can mitigate the impact of these attacks and safeguard your organisation. By understanding different types of cyber attacks, implementing immediate response strategies, developing a robust recovery plan, and investing in long-term security measures, you can build a resilient defence against cyber threats.
Remember, seeking professional help and forming strategic partnerships with cybersecurity experts and MSPs can provide you with the expertise and resources needed to enhance your security posture. Stay vigilant, stay informed, and prioritise cybersecurity to protect your business in an increasingly interconnected world.
Ready to improve your cybersecurity posture? Contact our expert team today to learn how we can help you safeguard your digital assets and build a more resilient future.