CYBER ATTACKS AND YOUR FUTURE
Firstly, the biggest misconception in the world of cyber security is that business’s that take precautions are safe from cyber attacks. The sad truth of the matter is that cyber security attacks aren’t a one-time thing. However, they aren’t something that you can stop once and guard yourself from forever.
Research done by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) shows that nearly 74% of small business and 43% of large businesses in the UK alone (more than 2000 organizations) experienced a cyber attack in the 2016-2018 period. 34 of these were high-risk attacks (C2) and 76 low-to-moderate risk attacks (C3). Some of the larger companies with the best security experienced on average one cyber attack per month. Therefore, no one is safe from attacks.
Finally, the truth is that cyber threats have ceased being an “if or might.” It is now a matter of “when,” “where” and “how.”
Recognizing the need for better security
Security attacks compromise the safety and privacy of company data by making it available to the wrong people. Research by the NCSC shows that the cost of an average, small-scale cyber attack costs less than £9,620. Therefore, with hacking becoming so inexpensive and with advanced new-age methods, who knows what sort of damage they may do to your company?
This is something organizations should be aware of and prepare themselves. In addition, with IoT technologies becoming more common in work-spaces, there is increased opportunity organizations being vulnerable to cyber attacks.
A case of company-wide culpability
The biggest problem that restrict organizations from setting in place proper security measures is the mistake that cyber attacks are solely an IT problem.
The truth is that cyber security attacks are an organization-wide responsibility. Hackers hack into an organization’s weakest link. This weak link could be anything from the company’s marketing emailers, to holes in website security, to the lack of security from supply chain partners.
Cyber security predictions for 2019
Cyber attacks in the UK are predicted to rise. Here are some predictions experts have made for 2019:
Growing C- Suite security risk
Increased risk of shadow IT systems
Increase in corporate espionage and cyber crime
More number of DDoS attacks
Greater number of single-factor password thefts and security breaches
What organizations can do to protect themselves?
Whether you’re working alone or seeking the services of IT support in London, you need to increase cyber security at your workplace. You can do this in the following ways:
• Educate employees
With cyber security, it’s important for your employees to actively apply the action plans. However, if they do this, they need to be educated about cyber crime, the attacks they may experience and what they can do to stop this from happening.
• Structure and safe-guard your data
The most-important thing to do is for you to identify what data is important for your organisation. That way you can re-structure data and add additional levels of protection. Backups and recovery plans must be in place to also ensure safety in case of a cyber attack. Therefore, this exercise will help you identify if there is any data theft.
• Draft a response plan
Set up a cyber security team in your organization. Ask them to come up with a flexible plan and apply this to keep your data safe. You can also seek input from your IT support.
• Equip yourself with new-age skills
Finally, upgrade your cyber security skill sets by having someone personally trained. Remember that just as hacking technology becomes more tricky, so does anti-hacking security technology. We would advise you to consult an IT company for the latest technology.
About IT-MSP
IT-MSP was founded in 2017 to provide London’s small & medium businesses with end-to-end IT services, right from purchasing and installing hardware to providing Mac, Windows & Linux support, cloud solutions, and data backup. We support our clients using proven, high-quality systems and security practices that blue-chip companies take for granted.
We consistently achieve excellent client satisfaction thanks to a process-driven approach, concise documentation and our team of friendly and highly trained London based engineers.
Youssef Baiza
Director
