As Anthem is added to the ever-growing list of security breaches, is it only a matter of time before your company is targeted?

This week the U.S. Justice Department revealed that Chinese hackers were the culprits behind the theft of almost 80 million health records. Anthem is one of the country’s largest health insurance providers. But this can happen to any business. Small or large, hackers are always looking to steal valuable data. Especially if you don’t protect it. Think this can’t happen to you? Recent studies show that 60% of small businesses get hacked each year.

So what can we learn from this costly security breach?

Pick the Right IT Support Team

Choosing the right IT support company is your first line of defense. So where do you start?

Do you ever find yourself wondering where all the time in the day went? You’re not alone. As a business owner, you wear many different hats. The good news is that there is an easy solution for your local Camden IT support needs. Partners Plus provides an all-in-one solution for all your Philadelphia computer support needs. Fight off invasive hackers with 24/7 support for all your IT needs. As a business owner, you can sleep easy at night knowing that your business is protected 24 hours a day.

Picking the right IT support team is your best bet to protect your business from cyber threats. Virus and phishing schemes evolve every day. The right computer support team battles against these destructive cyber threats. This means you can spend less time defending your systems and more time making money.

Secure Your Data

After the hackers gained access to the Anthem databases, they had easy access to millions of patient’s information. But what made it so easy?

Despite best practices, Anthem did not internally encrypt this information. Encrypting valuable information is essential to secure it. Anthem’s stolen patient information wasn’t just names and addresses. It also included critical information like social security numbers.  Without encryption, hackers easily gained access to private patient information.

Partners Plus can help you secure your data. We provide IT support in Philadelphia to keep your customers’ data safe and secure. That way, if hackers do make it through your defenses, they won’t be able to easily access your data.

Audit, Audit, Audit!

When’s the last time you took a good look at your internal security processes? If you’re like most people, it probably happens once a year – if you’re lucky.

Partners Plus can help you. We can provide on-site IT consulting services in Philadelphia and the surrounding area. With these services, you don’t have to worry about missing critical security updates. Instead, our team of professionals can help identify problems before they happen. We also ensure your business is always on the right track by providing quarterly business reviews to our clients.

After the breach, Anthem spent nearly $120 million to audit and improve security systems. Audits and reinforcements during emergencies can be expensive. Get ahead of the game and get a free audit before any problems come up. You will save yourself time and money in the long run.

Build Your Defenses

The Anthem security breach started with simple phishing emails. Spam filters typically do a decent job of filtering out these deceiving lookalikes, but you shouldn’t rely on filters alone.

You need an IT support team that can help fortify your defenses. The best way to avoid falling into the same trap as Anthem is to take preventative measures. Partners Plus IT support in Philadelphia provides on-site solutions for all of your tech needs. Whether you’re in need of computer upgrading or network support, we’re here to help your business run smoothly.

Train Employees on What to Look For

Small business owners should also regularly train their employees on what to look for. Phishing emails can look deceptively real. Try putting together a training workshop for your employees. Showing examples of what phishing emails look like can help them spot hackers before they get in. This is something we consistently help our clients with. It can be difficult to train your employees when you’re busy running your business, so let us handle it! We send out regular emails to test employees for phishing susceptibility as well as weekly training via short videos and quizzes to help them hone in on these skills.

You can also set up internet filters to block out spam-filled websites when someone does have a lapse in judgement. Partners Plus can work with you to develop internet filters to keep your employees’ browsers safe.

Develop an IT Crisis Response Plan

So now the audit is complete, your systems are up-to-date, and your employees are trained. There’s no way hackers can get through your defenses, right?

While we wish we could tell you that this is the case, it’s not. You should also work with your IT support company to develop a crisis response plan. When hackers strike, the response needs to be quick. The good news is that Partners Plus offers 24/7 support for our clients. We’re here around the clock to get you back up and running if you need us.

The statistics can seem grim. Small businesses have a significant chance of being the target of a hack. But you can work with your local Philadelphia IT support to strengthen your defenses against these attacks. Partners Plus is here to work with your local business to strengthen your defenses. Let us worry about keeping you safe so you can stay focused on making money.

This is a constantly evolving challenge. Please feel free to reach out for more info or any feedback and we’ll help/update as needed.