The cyber industry focuses too much on prevention and not enough on recovery, argues Scott Goldman, the co-founder and CEO of TextPower, in an op-ed for CSO Online.
According to Mr. Goldman, cybersecurity is dead. "In the end, just like a house with a sophisticated burglar alarm system, dead-bolt locks, crash-proof glass and a really mean dog, if a pro wants to get in, they're getting in," he writes.
While he adds employee education on cybersecurity is still vital, he argues the industry should focus on planning for recovering from an attack.
Here are five questions Mr. Goldman recommends IT leaders ask their teams to ensure their organizations are prepared to bounce back from a cyberattack.
1. "If you were hacked, what would you do?" Are there backups in place? Is there a plan to maintain operations if the organization must stay offline for a few days?
2. "How frequently is your data backed up?" What does the team do to ensure backups are maintained?
3. "Will you pay the ransom?" How much is the organization willing to pay to recover the data — $10,000, $100,000 or nothing at all? Organizations should have these decision-making processes thought out.
4. "What about the companies and people you work with?" Be sure to check the security of vendors, divisions and contractors.
5. "What's your communication plan?" Covering up a hack is often worse than the hack itself. Be able to alert the people affected, the media and authorities in a transparent, timely manner.
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