The first thing you need to do when your business gets hacked is isolate devices and accounts that are affected. You can do this by following these simple steps.

• Disconnect the affected devices from the internet. It’s important that you do NOT turn them off. Instead, turn off wifi or unplug the ethernet cable so that they can not communicate over the network and affect other devices.
• Reset passwords on affected accounts. Resetting the password on a compromised account will assist in kicking out the unauthorized user.
• Enable multi-factor authentication if possible. This step is critical to locking the criminal out of the account. Read our guide on multi-factor authentication and how it greatly increases account security.

By isolating your accounts and devices, you can help minimize the spread of the security incident. In fact, hackers love to move through your network. This is called lateral movement. By removing pathways that hackers use, the incident can be contained long enough for a proper plan to be implemented.

Identifying the extent of the breach

It’s important to keep notes about everything that occurs after you’ve identified a potential breach in your business. Make notes about the symptoms you’ve experienced. Make sure your employees know who to talk to if they see anything suspicious. This information can be provided to the authorities and our incident response team to help you resolve the attack.

When your business gets hacked, an investigation will help you identify the extent of the breach. Only after this investigation can the holes be patched. Did the hackers get into your email? Did they steal sensitive client data? What about proprietary intellectual property? All of these factors should be considered.

Report the hacking incident to the authorities

Cybercrime is growing exponentially every year. To help combat this, it’s important that you report any cyber-attacks on your business. Call your local authorities and report the incident. They will be able to provide assistance and resources to help you deal with the attack.

Many law enforcement agencies have dedicated cyber crime divisions. They are specially trained to deal with businesses that get hacked. They can even help individuals if a scam or other cyber crime is reported. These community resources are invaluable to a business in the middle of a security incident. Reporting an attack to your local authorities can also help them track down and stop the hackers from operating their business.

Sentry CTO knows what to do when your business gets hacked

If you haven’t already, contact our team immediately. The sooner our incident response team gets involved, the more likely we can stop the attack before irreversible damage is caused. We offer a wide variety of services, including Security Assessments, Threat Mitigation, 24/7 monitoring, and I.T. support services.

We can help you stop the current hacking incident. Next, we’ll help you develop a plan to prevent and detect future incidents. Your business needs to be protected from the ever-evolving threat landscape. Contact Sentry CTO today to take the first steps!