Data breaches are nothing new. At this point, we’ve all heard so much about them that they’ve become like ghost-stories told around a fire: they’re full of scary details, but a lot of companies don’t believe a real data breach is that bad. Unfortunately, the truth is that there are all kinds of unexpected costs associated with a data breach–and today, we’ll help you understand those costs with some managed IT tips.
The Data about Data Breaches
Managed IT services can help your business achieve many things, but one of the biggest and most important goals of any managed IT process is to ensure that your networks, mobile devices, computers, and printers are all secure. It’s a full-time job, since hackers and their methods are always becoming more dangerous, more sophisticated, and more powerful. Luckily, with help from your managed IT provider, it can be a little easier to catch your mistakes and help avoid a data breach–but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to know the facts.
Here’s the alarming data about data breaches and their real costs:
The initial costs batter your budget.
When you first face a data breach, there’s a scramble to limit damage and avoid downtime. Since many breaches aren’t even identified until months after the initial attack, it can be difficult to clean up–and this takes a big chunk out of your budget.
You might face legal fines.
Every case is a little different, but in general, there are laws holding companies accountable for disclosing exactly what data was stolen. This isn’t always easy, especially when you don’t catch the breach right away–so those fines are a scary reality.
Publicity is going to be a problem.
Either you’ll lose customers who heard about the breach and lost faith in your company (as well as some future customers), or you’ll spend extra money hiring PR experts and boosting your marketing campaign. No matter what happens, your budget won’t exactly be happy.
These are some grim facts–but with a little help from managed IT, it’s easier than ever to help avoid a data breach. Ready to learn how to prevent data breaches? Contact us today!
