Cyber Security Tips
Cyber Security
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a boom in remote working and on-going concerns that cyber criminals have been capitalizing on the increased use of emails and internet devices as employees operate outside the normal office environment. However, many cyber security breaches are caused by human mistakes whereby unsuspecting users are lured into letting a potential attacker gain access to the corporate network.
There are a number of policies you can implement to protect you and your staff such as:
GDPR
IT Security
Business Continuity
Acceptable Use
Document Destruction
Cyber-attacks cost the UK economy around 30 billion per year. This is an astonishing sum of money, so it was perhaps no surprise that the National Cyber Strategy 2022 is aiming at beefing up resilient levels in the fast-moving digital world. Businesses should take stronger steps to establish robust procedures that minimize cyber security risks within their supply chain. We found that 97% of businesses view the supply chain as a source of risk and firmly believe that more robust procedures are necessary to mitigate organizations’ risk exposure.
While system and network administrators can be guilty of system misconfigurations, poor patch management practices and the use of weak passwords, ongoing audits and due diligence can actively safeguard against these types of threats. Organizations will be wise to adopt regular cyber audits during any commercial arrangement and data exchanges. Looking for a third-party assessment can be fraught with difficulty because fragmented standards and cross border working may well expose some sectors.
The Government has recently embarked on further consultations with the business community in a bid to drive up security standards and when it comes to outsource IT services used for almost all UK businesses, in addition, it is planning to introduce new laws. Ransomware became the most significant cyber threat facing in the UK in 2021. This is a very real threat that can cause substantial disruption for essential services delivering or operating in this critical national infrastructure. A ransomware-based cyber-attack on Hackney Council in late 2020 caused many months of disruption and cost millions of pounds to rectify. At a critical time when it was dealing with the impact of the pandemic, the organization was locked out of important data and many services were disrupted including council tax and benefit payments. Other organizations have obviously dealt with that issue too.
Organizations will be wise to adopt cyber audits on a regular basis. All sectors operate in different ways and will deliver customer services in a different territory, and they must expect greater due diligence set with robust procedures will be necessary in order to minimize cybersecurity risks throughout any procurement process from prequalification right the way through to the ongoing operations. International threats are not a single issue. Intellectual theft and lack of enforcement are a major concern and especially so when incidents pass unchallenged. This bad behavior needs to be driven out by organizations being determined to take threats and risks seriously. Supply chain relationships are often built around trust. Adhering to security standards will improve that trust.
Nearly every day witnesses another mainstream media news story about cyber security. It is a growing talking point and a concern for many, including those customers using connected security procedures and services. From corporate ransomware attacks to stolen sign-on details, for personal, social media breaches and online security are rarely out of the news fueled by such incidents, consumer worries about their personal data and how safe it is to be connected to devices are increasing all the time.
It’s a sad fact that connectivity bringing us closer together and to live in huge benefits such as improved energy efficiency and reduced waste can also make us more vulnerable to fraud, blackmail, and identity theft. Rapid changes in our way of working and living accelerated by the pandemic are blowing the lines between domestic and business use making responsibility for keeping data and devices secure more complex than ever. The careless opening of an email or a simple click on the mouse can paralyze an entire company network or prevent a house from being heated. The key question to address is what do the next steps look like for all involved in further strengthening the security and the operation of the business.
If you need any support with your policies please contact us today on 07770 302504 or email joanne@chestnutassociates.co.uk
