January 28 was Data Privacy Day in 2018, which meant the start of a new year – What better time for implementing resolutions and fresh starts?!
If you resolved to be more vigilant this year by putting a high priority on your cybersecurity efforts, it is hopefully not too late. That said, we really hope you won’t “wait and see what happens” until the next Data Privacy Day coming up in early 2019!
After all, your small business can’t afford to overlook the dangers posed by hackers.
How do you know if you’ve been hacked? Here are five tell-tale signs that your network has been compromised.
1. Spam emails are coming from your company computers and email accounts.
Spam emails look legitimate because they are coming from your trusted email address. Many of your customers may open them, annoying your subscribers and possibly leaving them open to security threats of their own. Monitor your sent folder as much as you monitor your inbox to be sure all outgoing communications are actually from you.
2. Really slow computers and internet connection.
When hackers gain access to your network they begin using your bandwidth for themselves.
3. Unauthorized programs have been installed on your network.
If you notice an unfamiliar program that was not authorized, documented, or installed by anyone within your organization, don’t brush this off as something an employee must have done. While there may be an innocent explanation, this can also be a sign that a hacker has invaded your network. If you don’t recognize a program, you should not click on it without checking with Cooperative Systems first. You will never regret caution.
4. Unfamiliar programs are requesting access to your machine or network.
If your firewalls or other security programs appear like they’ve been been turned off or uninstalled, validate your security settings immediately. If your security systems are dismantled or missing, unfettered access to your systems may be allowed to wreak havoc in your network. Check and double check. And don’t forget to use a monitoring software to automate this for your business.
5. Visitors to your website are redirected to another site or receiving warnings from antivirus solutions that flag your site.
An internet search for your site results in error messages that warn the searcher that malware has been detected on your site. This warning means that hackers have certainly uploaded some sort of malicious software to your system.
What can you do if you have noticed these signs?
Contact Cooperative Systems.
We are your cyber security experts and we will perform a full security audit on your entire system. We keep up with the latest strategies used by hackers to steal your data so you don’t have to. Don’t risk downtime, loss of data or taking a financial hit due to hackers. Contact Cooperative Systems today, or give us a call!