Security and data breaches remain a constant threat for business. Hackers are continuously looking for vulnerabilities and new ways to take advantage of security lapses. Hackers typically won’t tell their victims that they are in their network and will spend as much time possible in the system looking for any other data they can steal. The average time it takes companies to detect a data breach is 197 days!
Here are a few signs to look for that could indicate your network has been hacked –
Spam emails: If your friends or colleagues complain that you are sending them spam emails, or you notice messages in your Sent folder you didn’t write, then you might have been hacked and the virus is going through your contact list. You need to report these complaints to your IT helpdesk to investigate the matter ASAP.
Your Task Manager is flat out: If you have a suspicion that your computer has been hacked, one of the sure signs is your Task Manager working at 90% or above, when your computer is sitting idle.
Your passwords don’t work: Hackers will often change your passwords so that they have full access to your computer, locking you out in the process. If you haven’t changed your passwords recently, this is one of the biggest signs that your computer has been compromised.
Your computer is acting abnormally: If you see pop-ups, toolbars or new programs appearing on your screen (that you know have nothing to do with you), that's a clear indication that someone has manipulated your computer.
Your Wi-Fi is really slow: A secure wi-fi connection rarely slows down to the point where you can barely find a connection. If this happens to you, it could be because a hacker is using your bandwidth to copy your files. Shut down your connection and call your IT helpdesk.
What Next?
- Identify the scope of the breach. How many systems or machines are affected? Conduct a network and malware analysis to identify which systems and data files have been compromised to avoid spreading the problem.
- Contain the attack. Once you’ve confirmed your system has been compromised take all your systems offline. This is the only way to contain the attack. Do a thorough investigation and determine how you can protect your system from future attacks.
- Prevent future attacks. Install, reinstall or update your antivirus. If you think your current antivirus doesn’t provide you with the right level of protection, switch to a better one. Then, fill your other security gaps including educating your employees about behaviours online including visiting unsafe websites, opening suspicious emails, and sharing passwords with anyone.
- Communicate the breach. Communicate the issues to the people that matter to your business, provide the steps if they need to change anything like passwords or email addresses, and assure them that you’ve taken the necessary steps to secure their information. Honesty and transparency are important if others are at risk.
Prevention is always better than cure. Call our security team on 8152 4000 to get started on your security plan today!