Disaster Recovery 101: What to Do After a Data Breach — and How to Prevent One

Understand Why Breaches Happen

Most breaches aren’t the result of some Hollywood-style hack. They often stem from routine oversights or gaps in protection. Knowing the root causes helps you prevent the next one.

1. Weak or stolen credentials
Compromised passwords are still the leading cause of breaches. If your business isn’t using multi-factor authentication (MFA) across all accounts, you’re at risk.

2. Phishing and social engineering
Employees unknowingly click links or share access with attackers who pose as trusted contacts. Without regular training and email filtering, these attacks often succeed.

3. Unpatched systems
Outdated operating systems, software, or devices are easy targets. If you don’t have centralized patch management in place, attackers will find a way in.

4. Lack of visibility and monitoring
If no one’s watching your network traffic or user behavior, threats can live undetected for months. That’s why 24/7 SOC monitoring is part of our Ultimate Cybersecurity Plan.

5. Poor backup and recovery planning
A ransomware attack doesn’t have to take you down — unless your backups are incomplete or untested. Recovery plans should include regular testing and offsite copies.

At Network Computer Pros, we’ve repeatedly seen these root causes — and built our Enhanced and Ultimate plans to proactively close the gaps.

Steps to Recover After a Breach

Once the immediate threat has been contained, your focus shifts to recovery and strengthening your defenses. These next steps help ensure your systems are restored safely and your business is better prepared going forward.

1. Conduct a full forensic investigation
Work with your IT provider or a third-party forensic team to determine how the breach occurred, what systems were affected, and what data was accessed. This is critical for closing the gap and meeting any regulatory requirements.

2. File and follow up with your cyber insurance provider
If you haven’t already, file a formal claim. Be prepared to share logs, forensic reports, and impact summaries. Many cyber insurance policies also cover legal support, public relations, and breach notification services.

3. Evaluate and improve your security posture
Use what you learned from the breach to strengthen your defenses. That might include deploying multi-factor authentication, improving patch management, restricting admin privileges, or moving to more advanced EDR solutions.

4. Review and update your response plan
If your incident response plan was missing or inadequate, now’s the time to fix it. Update contact lists, define team roles, and ensure your employees know what to do if something happens again.

5. Communicate with internal and external stakeholders
Be transparent with your team and, if appropriate, your clients. Let them know what happened, what’s been done, and how you’re preventing future issues. Honest, proactive communication builds trust.

6. Schedule a post-breach risk assessment
Network Computer Pros offers post-incident risk reviews to help businesses get back on track with clear, actionable recommendations — and peace of mind.

How to Prevent a Future Breach

After recovering from a cyberattack, the most valuable step you can take is investing in prevention. Strengthening your defenses now helps avoid future disruptions, reputational damage, and regulatory consequences.

1. Partner with a cybersecurity-focused IT provider
Not all IT support is built with security in mind. At Network Computer Pros, we offer an Enhanced IT Plan for reliable day-to-day support and an Ultimate Cybersecurity Add-on Plan for advanced protection. These aren’t basic bundles — they’re tailored to meet real-world threats and industry compliance.

2. Implement layered security
Effective security doesn’t rely on one tool. It combines firewall management, endpoint protection, email filtering, patching, and 24/7 monitoring from a Security Operations Center (SOC). This layered approach helps catch threats early before they spread.

3. Educate your team regularly
Human error is still one of the top causes of breaches. Conduct regular cybersecurity awareness training to keep your staff alert to phishing scams, social engineering tactics, and safe data handling practices.

4. Review and update access controls
Limit admin privileges, enforce multi-factor authentication, and regularly audit who has access to sensitive data. These simple controls reduce your risk significantly.

5. Back up critical systems the right way
Having a cloud backup isn’t enough. Make sure your backups are encrypted, tested, and part of a comprehensive BDR (Backup and Disaster Recovery) solution so you can recover quickly when it matters most.