If you haven’t thought about cybersecurity for your business for a while, it’s time to give it a boost. With the widespread introduction of hybrid working, the increasing cost of operations, as well as the global political climate, there are more reasons than ever before to make sure that your business is as protected as it can be against cybercrime.
What is cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity is the term used to describe the protection of your business’ data, computer systems and operations, and network; anything that is stored on a computer or in the cloud. It’s the security that you use to prevent data being stolen, and it’s just as important as the security that you use to protect your office or your physical equipment.
The reason that cybersecurity is so important is because unlike your offices, a hacker doesn’t need physical access to your business to steal personal information, or extort you for financial gain; they can do it from anywhere in the world.
When Russia invaded Ukraine, the National Cyber Security Centre in the UK reported the following, ‘...there has been a historical pattern of cyber attacks against Ukraine with international consequences. UK organisations are therefore strongly encouraged to follow the actionable steps in the NCSC guidance that reduce the risk of falling victim to an attack.’
A common target for cybercriminals are SMEs (small to medium enterprises), as these businesses are likely to spend less time (and money) protecting themselves. According to gov.uk, ‘Four in ten businesses (39%) and a quarter of charities (26%) report having cyber security breaches or attacks in the last 12 months.’
How can businesses improve their cybersecurity?
Every business’ cybersecurity needs will depend on how that business operates, the systems that business has in place, and the kind of information that business holds. However, there are some procedures that all businesses should establish in order to protect themselves.
Two-factor authentication
It is not enough to protect sensitive information with a single password. With two-factor authentication, anyone who attempts to gain access to an account needs a password and an additional piece of information accessed through a separate device, like a smartphone. This is an incredibly easy and effective way to keep hackers out.
Antivirus
Businesses need to ensure that their antivirus software is up to date, and their firewall is enabled and rules are up to date, and that both are active across all systems and machines. This is particularly important with the widespread introduction of hybrid working, where employees are far more likely to work from public spaces and use a Wi-Fi network which is not secured by your business.
Backup
For when things do go wrong, having a secure backup which is stored separately from the rest of your data is essential. Having a secure backup means that businesses can restore their data and systems when something does go wrong. Just ensure that backups are done regularly enough that your business can restore a recent version of your systems and data.
Training
Do your staff know how to recognise a phishing email, the effects of malware, or what social engineering is? U-secure is a program that provides cyber security training to your employees, as well as email phishing simulations, breach monitoring and business policy centralisation.
When your organisation subscribes to U-secure, you can access their ten-minute training courses on phishing, VPNs and more. U-secure emails your employees a new course on a regular basis automatically, and then records the results for the organisation, identifying your most at-risk individuals and providing a snapshot of how educated your business is.
As a U-secure partner Transcendit offers a 30-minute demo of the software, so we can talk you through how it works and get it set up for your business.
What’s next?
Two-factor authentication, antivirus and backup are the absolute essentials of cybersecurity, but cybersecurity for your business shouldn’t stop there. System patching and updates, managing who has access to data, and establishing a disaster recovery plan are also important to secure your business. You can check the National Cyber Security Centre’s full guidance here.
Not sure where to start with cybersecurity?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed with all this IT talk, Transcendit can help. Our experienced team of IT support engineers can review your current cybersecurity, identify how your business could be vulnerable to cyberthreats, and improve and monitor your systems for you. We can even help you establish a disaster recovery plan, so that if the worst happens, your business has a plan of action.
Ready to chat about cybersecurity? Give us a call on 0191 482 0444
