are you under cyber attack

Are You Under Cyber Attack?

In Technology Resources by Brandt A. HandleyLeave a Comment

It’s unsettling but true: most enterprises – regardless of size – are under persistent and pervasive cyber attack. Gartner Research said: “There is widespread agreement that advanced [cyber] attacks are bypassing our traditional signature-based security controls and persisting undetected on our systems for extended periods of time. The threat is real. You are compromised.”

A senior executive from one of ROI’s clients sums it up best: “There are just two types of companies today; those that have been cyber attacked and those that are being attacked right now but don’t know it.”

Who On Your Team Could Help?

As a Middle Market CEO, you may consider adding a Chief Information Security Officer to your executive team. The CISO performs a wide variety of duties including establishing, implementing, monitoring, and enforcing information security standards enterprise-wide. In conjunction with the IT team, your CISO would create and maintain information security strategies, policies, and on-going risk assessments. They would create and roll-out of security awareness and training programs. CEOs can’t do this alone – they need a subject matter expert due to the complexity and inescapability of this problem.

If you don’t have that role covered, here’s what could happen with a malicious cyber attack:

Loss Of Data Is Just The Beginning

When cyber criminals break through your defenses, loss of data might even be the smallest of your worries. You risk the loss of intellectual property, customer records, confidential communications and corporate strategies. As a result, any of those losses could significantly weaken or paralyze you competitively. And, subject your organization to extended litigation, judgments, fines, and likely a loss of public confidence and shareholder value.

Data Breach = Lost Productivity

When you discover a breach after the fact, probably your entire IT department is going to be in damage control mode. Therefore, you’ll be using resources scrambling to assess where other gaps may be while simultaneously rebuilding corrupted systems. And, it almost goes without saying, but you can’t successfully conduct business without data security confidence.

Under Attack? Set Your Budget Accordingly!

The average cost of a data breach was $5.9 million, according to a study from IBM and the Ponemon Institute. In their report, “2014 Cost of Data Breach Study: United States,” they found malicious attacks, employee negligence, and system glitches caused most breaches.

Attacks by hackers using complex, sophisticated methodologies have become increasingly more effective in their efforts to compromise your data and sabotage your brand. And should either be compromised, your bottom line won’t be far behind. How are you protecting your data and intellectual property?

So what’s in the Mighty Middle Market for me? — get it right now at www.Go4ROI.com.

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