For the past 20 years, software giant IBM and the Ponemon Institute, a cybersecurity research think tank, have tracked the average cost a business incurs when they have been the subject of a data breach or cyber attack. While the annual report accepts the nature of a cyberattack varies from business to business, the average cost of an incident in the UK rose by 8% in 2021.
Why have we seen an increase in cyberattacks?
Throughout 2021, the world of business witnessed a significant rise in the number of large cyberattacks on some of the most established organisations including energy providers, universities and government bodies. Although the causes of the incidents we saw throughout 2021 varied significantly, security experts have recognised the rapid shift to remote and hybrid working models and the need for shared digital platforms as some of the most prevalent catalysts in the rising cases of cyber attacks.
When we combine the increased vulnerabilities of existing IT infrastructures, the rise of shared platforms and the improved efficiency of cybercriminals, it is imperative businesses and employees implement measures to keep themselves digitally safe.
So how can you stop hackers and malicious actors from accessing your critical data?
How to stay safe from hackers
Securing your systems and data doesn’t always have to require experts watching out for malicious actors; there are several easy measures any business can put in place to make sure they are not a victim of cybercrime.
Employee awareness:
This may sound simple, but ensuring employing awareness of various types of cyber threats, techniques and best practices will often be your organisation’s strongest line of defence. Encourage your team to regularly communicate about phishing attacks, tactics used by criminals and questionable links or domains. Through this simple task, your team will be naturally more aware of the threats.
Strong passwords:
Passwords are the easiest way for criminals to gain access to your accounts, whether professional or personal. In a world where we rely on an increasing amount of apps and accounts to run our daily lives, users will often use the same generic password across several platforms. Unfortunately, as we know, this is an extremely easy and common way for criminals to gain access. So what can you do?
One of the most effective methods in the arsenal against cybercriminals is making sure your passwords are strong and secure, with a mixture of characters, numbers, and symbols. To further strengthen your password, it is recommended to use a password encryptor or password manager to store all your passwords in a safe and secure place.
Update your software:
A basic and simple method that many businesses neglect is to simply update their software. Whether it is your CMS platform or a cloud-based database, old versions of applications can be a gateway for malicious actors to gain access or harm your IT infrastructure. To make sure this doesn’t happen, software providers are constantly adding new security features and patches for users to update their systems. However, whilst providers stay on top of regular updates, they are seemingly redundant if they are not applied by the end-user.
The susceptibility of not regularly updating software was emphasized in the recent announcement that a critical flaw was discovered within Apache Foundation Log4j; a flaw that if discovered by hackers could provide access to critical systems or files. Whilst this vulnerability existed unnoticed for years, Log4J emphasised the importance of updating your software in instances of security notices. In this instance, it was widely reported that unpatched systems continually posed a grave risk to intrusions from external actors.
Anti-phishing / spam tools:
One of the most common threats businesses face is phishing attempts by external parties attempting to gain access to a system, install malware or steal intellectual property or money by inviting employees to click on links or download a file infected with malicious software.
Companies that are taking a forward step in protecting themselves from phishing attempts are utilising anti-phishing toolbars, web extensions, and email spam filters. Anti-phishing toolbars and filters simply protect a user if they land on a potentially dangerous website by scanning the domain and automatically blocking any possible threat that could damage a system.
Use a VPN:
One of the largest problems facing businesses in today’s hybrid world is employees connecting devices to work from public networks. Although the wifi or network from your favourite coffee shop may seem secure on the surface, unencrypted networks allow other users, who may also be connected to the same network, to access and manipulate your data or device relatively easily.
This is where a VPN can be your best friend. Put simply, a VPN connection disguises your online traffic data and protects it from external access. In essence, a VPN creates a secure connection between a user’s device and the VPN server, preventing their ISP provider or other users on the network from tracking or accessing their data.
Are you looking for some guidance with your cybersecurity or cloud strategy? Get in touch with our experts for a free consultation on 0800 612 2524 today or email [email protected]
