One of the most important considerations in IT contracts (Service Level Agreements) is incident response time. Slow response to rapidly escalating cyberattacks or data loss cost businesses around the world billions.
There is an assumption that incident response times matter only for fast-moving attacks. In fact, ‘slow’ modes of attack, such as emails have proven to be some of the most effective routes of intrusion.
Did you know phishing emails with no malicious links or attachments cost businesses more than $26 billion annually, says CIO & Leader?
Why incident response times matter
A cyber incident can be broken down into identification and remediation: i.e., the attack must first be identified; then steps taken to suppress the attack. For businesses, it means allocating resources effectively to each incident they encounter. The longer your IT team takes to respond to the attack, the less effective its remediation will be.
Data theft can be achieved in mere minutes. An incident response of an hour is as good as redundant. Its why the automated response has gained traction in the last few years.
A partial solution – automated response
Automated incident response has helped to reduce the severity of attacks and even protect from attacks. However, it also means operations are interfered with. What’s more, without the aid of IT professional services, your organization is not able to take corrective steps. Essentially, the process of security evolution is hampered by purely automated incident response solutions.
Research by IBM has shown the cost of IT breaches has risen to an average of nearly $4 million per incident.
IT support Oakville trusted for rapid response
Rapid incident response is essential to reducing the downtime in your business. It’s why you should trust only IT professional services to implement effective internet and network security systems. The same study from IBM notes that businesses with an expert incident response team cut their losses to an average of less than $3 million.
Active response – The real measure of response times is an actual and active response. Communication is not. For too many IT ‘professional’ services, rapid response means sending an email immediately. What you should require in your contract is immediate IT support in Oakville that addresses the incident.
Standard operating procedure – Standard operating procedures are a sign that your IT services provider has a plan in place to respond to emergencies. If they are running helter-skelter after a network attack or break, it means they have inadequate documentation and understand the system.
Escalation – Not every security event is the same. A malicious email is not the same as a concerted DNS attack on your firewall. Your IT management company in Oakville should provide an escalation procedure. It will mean more efficient use of your resources.
On-site support – Not all on-site support is the same. To ensure your concerns are responded to timely (and competently), make sure your IT support in Oakville is not being outsourced to a third-party agency you have no relationship with.
NUMENTIS provides managed IT services and incident response for many clients. Our IT support team monitors your network and system activity to ensure the validity of traffic and access. Speak to a NUMENTIS representative to find out how our flexible escalation token system ensures you only pay for the services you need.
