“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Henry de Bracton 1240. Successful leaders strategize with forward thinking that includes prevention.
Deterring a preventable problem saves time, money, energy, plus the frustration.
Backup & Disaster Recovery is worth investing in – there true value requires implementation before disaster strikes! Due diligence can conserve profits, protect a company’s future, ensure that costly litigation and legal liability are avoided, and prevent mistakes that may cost one’s career.
Inattention to the real threats facing companies (despite their age and regardless of their size) and failing to practice attentiveness can mean “Game-Over”.
The decision to practice good-housekeeping protocols can go a long way towards preventing IT disasters.
A Case Study of Failure
Equifax is the oldest of the three largest Credit Agencies in the world. Founded in 1899 Equifax is now a corporate giant. It employs over 9,000 employees in 14 countries and brings in billions of revenue each year. In September of 2017 CEO Richard Smith was forced to retire amid outrageous revelations regarding the largest known security breach of protected consumer information. Equifax’s scandal was all the more shocking due to that fact that it was preventable!
Simply having an action plan in place & following through – is all that was needed to avoid the irrevocable damage!
In March the company was notified of a fault in one of the software programs they used. Despite a repair being available, the company did not install the update to repair the weakness. This oversight led to a security breach in which the personal identifying data of 143 million individuals was accessed. From now until the end of these individuals’ lives they will be at heightened risk of suffering identity fraud & a potentially life-destroying invasion of personal privacy. Now Equifax’s executives, board members, chief financial officer and others are in deep water as their jobs are on the line and they must reassure consumers that their negligence was not a crime.
Now too in South Africa, there has been such a break of information security whereby 30 Million people’s information was hacked & disseminated online.
Tips to Avoid Data Disasters
Here are some actionable tips to take to protect your data.
- Inclusivity: Include a plan for Data Recovery in your IT infrastructure design from the ground up. Incorporate it into your system from the beginning, don’t relegate it to the background or leave it as an afterthought.
- Control Access: Limit the number of Administrators on your company’s IT Network
- Focused Access: Ensure that Admins & Users on your network are limited to truly necessary access
- Close the Gaps: Ensure all software is up-to-date! Developers find and fix exploitable gaps. Take advantage of this.
- Do the Basic’s Right: Cover the fundamentals by ensuring that the ‘simple stuff’ is done right. This includes strong passwords that regularly change.
- Include Everyone: Security affects everyone so make it a priority from the top-down and from the bottom-up. Don’t exclude anyone who has access to your system! Communicate with staff at all levels and provide training on how to increase online and system safety. For staff training on cyber threats including Ransomware read here.