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Breach Detection: Top Signs Your Business Has Been Hacked

Breach Detection: Top Signs Your Business Has Been Hacked

In 2024, cybersecurity has firmly entrenched itself in the public imagination. It seems like barely a week goes by, for example, without a high-profile data breach. Terms like “hacking,” “malware” and even “multi-factor authentication” have become part of our everyday vernacular. Even extensive security training is now routine at many workplaces.

Yet despite this welcome increase in awareness and understanding, it can still be difficult to know exactly when your network has suffered a breach – which can have serious consequences for your business. That’s because the faster you can detect a malicious incident, the faster you can begin remediation, prevent financial or reputational fallout, and get your agency back on track. Let’s explore what potential breaches can look, feel and sound like. We will also examine steps you can take to respond in the unfortunate event of an incident.

What does a breach look like?

One of the biggest warning signs that something is amiss with your business network is simply unusual activity that you can typically see within your technology or security software. While this can sound like vague advice, it really isn’t when you know what to look for, including:

  • Strange or unrecognized logins.
  • Odd purchases made through business accounts.
  • Unauthorized changes to your account settings.
  • Unfamiliar devices connecting to your systems or network.
  • Abnormal spikes in data use or activity.

What does a breach feel like?

The warning signs of a breach are not solely visual. You can also be tipped off by how your network feels and the way your software performs. A cyberattack may result in a dramatic slowdown in performance. There is no universal experience, of course, but some of the common performance problems include:

  • Slow network speeds or crashing applications.
  • General connectivity problems.
  • Inefficient CPU or system memory usage.
  • Poor customer experience.

What does a breach sound like?

When it comes to network breaches, it may feel a bit odd to talk about warning signs that you can hear. While your technology systems aren’t typically going to tip you off this way, your agency’s human stakeholders might. Keep your ears open for feedback from those who interact with your digital assets and infrastructure. Their thoughts, feelings and experiences may prove crucial to discovering a breach and taking corrective action. Some comments that you need to take very seriously are:

  • Reports of increased phishing attempts or other suspicious emails.
  • Complaints from customers about using your digital assets.
  • Increased IT support desk tickets, depending on if you have managed security in place.
  • Occasionally, albeit rarely, compromised devices can also emit auditory signals that suggest something has gone wrong.

A four-point plan to respond to breaches

If you notice these abnormal activities, don’t brush them off! Instead, take the following four actions to contain the potential damage and reestablish your security perimeter.

  • First: Secure your compromised accounts, which can involve switching passwords and establishing multi-factor authentication if you don’t have it in place already. You should also disable affected accounts, notify all affected stakeholders, and begin preserving evidence of what has occurred.

  • Second: Focus next on investigating the malicious activity. Develop an overview of the incident by assessing the “who,” “what,” “when,” and “where” of the network breach. The purpose of this exercise is two-fold: You want to determine the scope of the problem while also determining the root causes so you can ensure it doesn’t happen again.

  • Third: Build a plan to improve the long-term security of your IT systems and to prevent similar breaches. Conduct a comprehensive review of your vulnerabilities. Implement stronger access controls, encryption protocols and cybersecurity approaches. Finally, update training programs to keep employees apprised of security changes and reinforce security standards across your organization.

  • Fourth: Don’t forget to adhere to all relevant standards and requirements regarding data breach notification. Then, conduct a review of your compliance obligations to ensure you are taking appropriate due diligence and properly protecting sensitive personal information.

A thrilling yet threatening business era

Seven decades into the information age, more people than ever are aware of both the promise and the perils of using digital systems in both life and work. Yet while cybersecurity awareness has never been more widespread than it is today, some of the common signs and symptoms of a data breach are not that widely known. Learning more about them and keeping your co-workers and team apprised is a great way to sharpen your defenses and respond decisively should the need arise.

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This blog contains general information only, not intended to be relied upon as, nor a substitute for, specific professional advice. We accept no responsibility for loss occasioned to any purpose acting on or refraining from action as a result of any material on this blog.

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