Two of the biggest data breaches that changed the way we think about cybersecurity were the Equifax data breach of 2017 and the Yahoo! breach of 2013. Millions of people were affected and the problems have still not been completely solved.
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In the past, cybersecurity wasn’t a public concern. Data hacking seemed like the stuff of fantasy: with a few clicks and some well-placed code, people could gather a lot of important information about you. They could possibly steal your money, your name, and many other things.
Even today, most people don’t think too much about cybersecurity--until they experience or are caught up in a minor or major data breach. Let’s take a closer look at these data breaches in particular, in order to find out how you can protect your maintenance team from cybersecurity attacks.
The Equifax Data Breach
Over half of all Americans had their privacy compromised in various ways by the Equifax data breach in 2017. To put it in perspective, around 209,000 credit card numbers were stolen and 182,000 people’s personal information was put at risk. Finally, to date, this data breach is one of the largest that has affected individual people and put them at risk.
Yahoo!’s Data Breach
Yahoo really had a bad day in the summer of 2013. Three billion accounts were leaked to the attackers, which included Flickr, fantasy., and Tumblr accounts. Usernames, names, email addresses, and passwords were all released. Initially, the company disclosed that only a third of those accounts had been breached. Three years later, consumers found out the truth. As with Equifax, no one is sure where this information ended up.
How to Protect Your Maintenance Team
These examples focused on the privacy and financial safety of individuals. Companies take the same hits when their data is breached. How can maintenance teams protect themselves? Here are some simple steps and some more complicated strategies that companies can implement today in order to protect their maintenance teams and their assets.
Simple Steps to Take
Some of the most simple steps that can be taken include:
Some examples of the above steps include things such as a once-a-month check for all computers and updating the company’s network at the same time. Let your employees know that security updates aren’t optional. Reward proactive behavior such as them asking for replacement pieces.
These kinds of changes are all well and good. What are some more complicated strategies that companies who take cybersecurity seriously can implement?
More Complicated Strategies
The first strategy that companies can implement is an overarching preventative maintenance strategy. This kind of strategy takes into account every asset that your company has and how best to care for the company as a whole. It helps prevent breakdowns and breaches long before they could occur.
Another thing that companies might consider is investing in a cybersecurity expert or firm to conduct an overall exam of their situation and discover personalized next steps. This is particularly valuable if your company deals with high-value inventory or has high-value assets that are tracked through a connected, computerized system.
Finally, one of the best overall strategies is to invest in a quality CMMS system. These systems are companies’ first line of defense against attacks of all sorts and are a great starting point to protecting your maintenance team and their work from a cybersecurity attack.
At the end of the day, the best defense is just that: a defense. From very simple checks to complicated audits, companies need to protect themselves today or risk the consequences. Just as you should take proactive measures to thwart off cyberattacks before they occur, a strong preventive maintenance program prevents risks from occurring in your maintenance programs.