In today’s interconnected world, data breaches are becoming alarmingly common. Banks, online platforms, e-commerce sites, government agencies and Small & Medium Businesses from every sector are targets for cybercriminals. The fallout often includes exposed personal data like Social Security numbers (SSNs), credit card information, and sensitive business details which can crush your business, and put your clients at risk.

If your business data has been breached, you may feel powerless—but there are steps you can take. Simple IT, Northern Kentucky’s trusted IT Managed Service Provider (MSP), specializes in cybersecurity and business continuity solutions for SMBs and government entities. Here are 8 essential steps we advise to mitigate risks after a breach, but your most important step is to get help and we’ll be ready.

Change Your Passwords Immediatley

Your first priority should be updating passwords for accounts affected by the breach. Then, identify and update any other accounts where you’ve reused the same password.

Reusing passwords across multiple platforms increases vulnerability. By using a password manager, you can generate strong, unique passwords and securely store them, reducing the risk of future breaches. Simple IT provides password management training, policies and managed solutions to keep your business passwords accessible, while secured.

Enable Multifactor Authentication (MFA)

Adding MFA to your accounts provides an extra layer of security, requiring more than just a password to access sensitive information. This can help protect your accounts even if hackers have obtained your password.

Common MFA options include text message codes, authentication apps, biometrics and physical security keys. Enabling MFA for all accounts and all users, especially those tied to financial or sensitive data, is one of the most effective cybersecurity strategies.

Monitor Bank Accounts for Suspicious Activity

If your payment details have been exposed, monitor your accounts closely for unusual activity. Notify your bank immediately to issue new cards and avoid financial loss.

Many banks offer alerts for transactions, making it easier to detect and respond to unauthorized charges in real time. Proactively reporting potential fraud can also limit your liability.

Freeze Your Credit to Prevent Identity Theft

Stolen personal data and personally identifiable information (PII) is often sold to commit identity theft, such as opening new credit accounts in your name. Freezing your credit with major credit bureaus like Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion is a simple yet effective step to block unauthorized activity. Need help with this step… contact Simple IT to work on your company’s behalf to secure your data quickly with these credit bureaus.

Credit freezes won’t impact your credit score and can be temporarily lifted as needed should you need to apply for credit or loans.

Analyze the Breach Notification Carefully

When your business receives a breach notification, take the time to review it thoroughly or get it to an expert who can do this for you. Understand what kind of information was exposed and whether the company is offering reparations, such as free credit monitoring or fraud protection services. Consider additional outside credit security and identity theft prevention services for any accounts which may be impacted, but aren’t covered.

Stay updated by checking the breached company’s website and social media communications. Breach investigations often evolve, and additional information about the scope of the breach may emerge over time. As new information is learned, consider how it could impact what you’ve already done and adjust accordingly. This can be a daunting process over weeks and months, so consider when a trusted expert may serve you best.

Strengthen Cybersecurity Protections

Protect your devices and networks with robust cybersecurity tools. At Simple IT, we use and recommend the following solutions for our clients:

  • Antivirus/anti-malware programs to detect and block threats.

  • DNS filtering to block malicious websites.

  • Spam filtering to reduce phishing emails.

  • VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) to secure your internet connection, especially on public Wi-Fi.

  • Firewalls & Blacklisted Sites & Applications to prevent bad actors from accessing your critical business network and data.

  • **Privileged Access Management (PAM) **which enforces security policies limiting access to key data only to essential employees by their job functions

Working with Simple IT to apply these tools in a tailored manner that best safeguards your business and its critical data may be the best preventative investment a Northern Kentucky based business can make to protect itself from expensive repercussions of cyber threats.

Stay Vigilant Against Phishing Scams

After a breach, you may notice an increase in phishing attempts by email throughout your company and staff. These scams often mimic legitimate organizations to trick victims into revealing sensitive information, and an untrained or unaware employee may be all that stands between a dangerous hacker and your critical business network data.

Adopt these phishing prevention tips as best practices throughout your business and consider recurring cybersecurity awareness training to arm your employees into true defenders of your businesses data:

  • Hover over links to verify their destination

  • Avoid clicking on links in unsolicited emails or texts

  • Only trust emails from known senders or official channels, but still verify them

  • Double-check suspicious communications by contacting the company directly

  • Assume any email that may seem to be a threat is one and treat it accordingly

  • Have a Managed Solutions Provider and Cybersecurity Support expert like Simple IT on speed dial to investigate any email that may look phishy!

Keep All Systems and Software Updated

Unpatched software vulnerabilities are common entry points for hackers. Regularly updating your operating system, applications, and firmware reduces these risks.

Automating updates is an efficient way to ensure your devices stay protected without requiring manual checks. Simple IT can help your organization implement automatically recurring update solutions for ongoing streamlined security.

Protect Your Business with Simple IT

Data breaches are a wake-up call to strengthen your cybersecurity posture. Simple IT provides tailored IT services to help small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) and government agencies across Northern Kentucky stay secure. From proactive monitoring to comprehensive business continuity planning and protection, we help to secure your operations from cyber threats.

Contact Simple IT today to schedule a free consultation and learn how we can secure your devices, networks, and data. We’ll keep IT simple so you can focus on what you do best! Give us a call at 859-449-7878 or email to info@simple-it.us … we’ll be ready when you are. 👍

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This Article has been Republished with Permission from The Technology Press.