BACK TO BASICS: SIMPLE TIPS FOR PREVENTING CYBER CRIME IN YOUR BUSINESS
Today’s hackers are more innovative and daring than ever before. For instance, fraud, email phishing, fake news
and more, have been used by cyber criminals, exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to steal and spread dangerous
malware.
In this increasingly complex cyber world, there are, however, some basic tips to ensure you have the foundations
set to avoid costly scams and sanitise your digital footprint.
BACK TO BASICS
When it comes to cyber-crime, remember that we are dealing with criminals. Not the usual sort who end up with
their faces in the news, but the kind who hide behind lines of code and a computer screen. These criminals are
aiming to extort, steal, damage and expose, and they aren’t slowing down. Comparatively, they are ramping up.
That’s because cyber-crime is a lucrative business. There are plenty of easy opportunities for them to exploit and
take advantage of. For instance, weak passwords that are easy to crack. The opening of scam emails and clicking
of malicious links. What’s clear is that, despite the risks, there are still many gaping holes in business defences. So
it’s time to reinforce the basics.
GETTING THE BASICS WRONG
Let’s go back to the infamous global WannaCry ransomware attack from 2017, which took down a wide range of
organisations, including the NHS, and is a good example of what can happen when you fail to get the basics right.
The malicious software targeted vulnerable Windows computers, encrypting the files on the computer’s hard
drive and demanding a ransom payment in bitcoin in order to decrypt them and get access back to the files.
Simple procedures, such as software updates and patching, could have better prevented the spread of WannaCry.
WannaCry was a wake-up call for the need for better basic cyber security, but, unfortunately, millions of
unpatched devices are still prevalent around the world.
Here are five simple, but sometimes forgotten, basic cyber security tips you can improve right now to reduce the
risk of cyber crime:
1. Software updates patching
As mentioned above, the NHS outage from WannaCry was the result of unpatched software. It should be a
business priority to ensure all operating systems and applications are patched and updated on a regular basis.
The sooner this happens, the sooner any vulnerabilities are locked down.
2. Proactive, not reactive
Reacting to a cyber breach is normally too late. Therefore, a proactive approach to cyber security is required so
when a breach does happen, you are ready for it. Get this wrong and you could face hefty regulatory fines, as well
as a further loss of data. At the very least, make sure your business has a process in place for when a breach
occurs, and don’t forget to inform the regulator.
3. Educating the workforce
Many people incorrectly assume cyber security is just a technology problem. It isn’t. You can spend as much
money as you want on state-of-the-art technology, but you still won’t be fully safe. And that’s because people are
the problem. People present easy access to your network. And people are easy to manipulate.
So, you can have all the technology and processes in place to think you are safe from hackers, but it’s the triangle
of people, processes and technology which is the Holy Grail. If your people aren’t aware of the risks, then
technology alone won’t save you.
4. Risk management process
If your business handles personal data, make sure you have a plan in place. A risk management process, which is
regularly updated, is important to stay on top of the latest threats and minimise, or even avoid, the impact of
them.BACK TO BASICS: SIMPLE TIPS FOR PREVENTING CYBER CRIME IN YOUR BUSINESS
Today’s hackers are more innovative and daring than ever before. For instance, fraud, email phishing, fake news
and more, have been used by cyber criminals, exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to steal and spread dangerous
malware.
In this increasingly complex cyber world, there are, however, some basic tips to ensure you have the foundations
set to avoid costly scams and sanitise your digital footprint.
BACK TO BASICS
When it comes to cyber-crime, remember that we are dealing with criminals. Not the usual sort who end up with
their faces in the news, but the kind who hide behind lines of code and a computer screen. These criminals are
aiming to extort, steal, damage and expose, and they aren’t slowing down. Comparatively, they are ramping up.
That’s because cyber-crime is a lucrative business. There are plenty of easy opportunities for them to exploit and
take advantage of. For instance, weak passwords that are easy to crack. The opening of scam emails and clicking
of malicious links. What’s clear is that, despite the risks, there are still many gaping holes in business defences. So
it’s time to reinforce the basics.
GETTING THE BASICS WRONG
Let’s go back to the infamous global WannaCry ransomware attack from 2017, which took down a wide range of
organisations, including the NHS, and is a good example of what can happen when you fail to get the basics right.
The malicious software targeted vulnerable Windows computers, encrypting the files on the computer’s hard
drive and demanding a ransom payment in bitcoin in order to decrypt them and get access back to the files.
Simple procedures, such as software updates and patching, could have better prevented the spread of WannaCry.
WannaCry was a wake-up call for the need for better basic cyber security, but, unfortunately, millions of
unpatched devices are still prevalent around the world.
Here are five simple, but sometimes forgotten, basic cyber security tips you can improve right now to reduce the
risk of cyber crime:
1. Software updates patching
As mentioned above, the NHS outage from WannaCry was the result of unpatched software. It should be a
business priority to ensure all operating systems and applications are patched and updated on a regular basis.
The sooner this happens, the sooner any vulnerabilities are locked down.
2. Proactive, not reactive
Reacting to a cyber breach is normally too late. Therefore, a proactive approach to cyber security is required so
when a breach does happen, you are ready for it. Get this wrong and you could face hefty regulatory fines, as well
as a further loss of data. At the very least, make sure your business has a process in place for when a breach
occurs, and don’t forget to inform the regulator.
3. Educating the workforce
Many people incorrectly assume cyber security is just a technology problem. It isn’t. You can spend as much
money as you want on state-of-the-art technology, but you still won’t be fully safe. And that’s because people are
the problem. People present easy access to your network. And people are easy to manipulate.
So, you can have all the technology and processes in place to think you are safe from hackers, but it’s the triangle
of people, processes and technology which is the Holy Grail. If your people aren’t aware of the risks, then
technology alone won’t save you.
4. Risk management process
If your business handles personal data, make sure you have a plan in place. A risk management process, which is
regularly updated, is important to stay on top of the latest threats and minimise, or even avoid, the impact of
them.
5. Protect your emails
Your inbox presents the easiest target for hackers. Phishing is the most common kind of cyber-attack, and it still
has a massive success rate. So, if in doubt about the legitimacy of an email, don’t open any link or attachment.
Some businesses have an email security solution which checks received emails for malicious content, but that’s
not fool proof so you need to be aware of what to look out for. Ensure everyone in your business is aware of the
dangers of opening malicious emails.
These five basic steps don’t make you bulletproof to cyber-crime, but they do ensure you’ll reduce your risk
landscape. Failing to address these cyber prevention steps will present opportunities for the bad guys to take
advantage of. If there is a weakness, you should expect cyber criminals to find it.
Follow the above tips to quickly bolster your cyber defences and fight off the increasingly complicated threats.
Find out more about how we help businesses like yours mitigate cyber security threats.
Your inbox presents the easiest target for hackers. Phishing is the most common kind of cyber-attack, and it still
has a massive success rate. So, if in doubt about the legitimacy of an email, don’t open any link or attachment.
Some businesses have an email security solution which checks received emails for malicious content, but that’s
not fool proof so you need to be aware of what to look out for. Ensure everyone in your business is aware of the
dangers of opening malicious emails.
These five basic steps don’t make you bulletproof to cyber-crime, but they do ensure you’ll reduce your risk
landscape. Failing to address these cyber prevention steps will present opportunities for the bad guys to take
advantage of. If there is a weakness, you should expect cyber criminals to find it.
Follow the above tips to quickly bolster your cyber defences and fight off the increasingly complicated threats.
Find out more about how we help businesses like yours mitigate cyber security threats.
