The cyber standoff between the U.S. and Russia is escalating very quickly.

This week, the U.S. government formally blamed Russia for the recent high profile cyberattacks against U.S. political organizations and citizens. 

The U.S. government believes Russia is trying to meddle with our election process. Now, the Obama Administration is supposedly preparing for a possible retaliatory cyberattack against Russia. And the U.S. Air Force is currently working to reduce vulnerabilities which could cause problems in the event of a counterattack.

It’s safe to say that on the other side of the world, Russia is taking the same precautions. Both sides appear to be digging in for a conflict.   

Here is a reality check:

Right now, relations between the U.S. and Russia are at the lowest point since the Cold War. The media is full of saber rattling and finger-pointing, and it’s very difficult for the average person to separate fact from fiction.

The problem is that unfortunately, it’s just about impossible to trace a large scale cyberattack. As National Geographic pointed out, countries like Russia and China are actually less likely to launch a sophisticated attack than a terrorist organization or third party hacking group. This is largely because of the implications which are at stake. 

One thing is clear, though: When it comes to cyberwarfare, all bets are off. Your business could be caught in the middle of a massive attack. Keep in mind there is no telling when a cyberattack could occur, or what it could target. In fact, your business could already be infected with malware!

Right now, all companies—especially those in high-risk industries like finance, healthcare and insurance—should all be on full alert.

So, what can you do to keep your business safe?

One thing to realize is that there is no telling how destructive a large-scale cyberattack could be. Most cyberattacks that you see on the news are aimed at ordinary networks. They are carried out with the intention of stealing information or money. But cyberattacks could also cause physical destruction, too.  An attack, for instance, could be aimed at the power grid which could lead to major problems. So it’s vital to have backup power systems in place for seamless failover should this occur.

As we pointed out early in the week, nuclear power plants are also being targeted these days. 

The best thing you can do is to make sure your business’s network is secure. In the event of a large cyberattack, businesses with the weakest networks will suffer the largest losses.

One way you can mitigate damage is to work with a managed services provider, which can provide a top-down assessment of your network. A company like Apex Technology Service will provide a detailed report of all of your vulnerabilities, and will also help you close them.

A new breed of hacktrepeneurs has awoken and they have little to fear and everything to gain by infecting as many companies as possible and extorting money from them. Apex Technology Services stands ready to protect your company regardless of whether it’s located in New York City; White Plains, New York; Connecticut; Australia; Europe; or anywhere else. Our full suite of cybersecurity and IT support services is at your disposal, enabling you to spend less time worrying about and more time growing your business.

In addition, our new Cybersecurity Compliance Certification for law firms will help keep your legal practice from becoming the next Panama Papers victim. This baseline cybersecurity audit for the legal industry should be considered seriously by all law firms.