Essential tips for safeguarding your business against cyber crime.

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With cyber crime costing UK businesses £30 billion a year, and causing many to close, it’s time to start making cyber security a priority.

Spectra Cybersecurity Solutions support SMEs and UK Govt in protecting themselves, whilst maintaining business efficiency but general awareness is the first step to being secure.

The list of cyber threats can seem endless. But, there are many steps you can take toward protecting your business.

If you’re not sure where to start, here are some essential tips for safeguarding your business against cyber crime.

Identify All Possible Threats

‘Cyber Risk Reviews must consider IT in your facilities such as AirCon, Lifts, Doors, Alarms & CCTV not just networks’ – Cevn Vibert, Industrial Cyber Security Advisory Director at Vibert Solutions

Before implementing any safeguarding measures, you need to work out how secure your business is currently.

The best way to do this is through a cyber security audit. This will help you understand where you are in terms of risk by identifying any potential threats.

When it comes to protecting your business, you need to be aware of both internal and external threats. These can include:

• Phishing attacks
• Hacking
• Employees using infected home devices at work
• Bots
• Malware

The world of cyber crime is constantly evolving. New variants on old scams can pose a deceptive threat! You might think you’re aware of certain scams, but they’re always changing.

So, the best way to tackle cyber crime is by staying up to date with the latest threats. If you know what you’re up against, you can take action to prevent it!

Also, ensure all your systems are up to date, as the latest software often contains security fixes. Is your data backed up? Have you installed malware protection? There are many ways to protect your business.

Identifying all potential threats will help you safeguard against them!

Make Cyber Security a Business Priority

‘Don’t wait for an incident to occur, act now to protect the network and assets within it. Failure to do so can have significant impacts financially and impact the reputation of an organisation to a degree which they may not recover from’ – Dan Driver, Head of Perception at Chemring Technology Solutions

Once your risk assessment is out of the way, it’s time to start thinking strategically.

Have an action plan in place to deal with cyber crime, and ensure all employees are made aware of it. Everyone in your organisation plays a vital role in keeping the business secure!

Take extra care when sharing data with third parties. Any outside contractors or suppliers should be compliant with your security plan. Your data is vulnerable, especially when it comes to transiting across public networks.

But, internal threats shouldn’t be ignored! Ensure your password policy is effective. Passwords should be:

• Stored away from the device
• Easily and safely reset
• Difficult to guess

Once your security plan is implemented, don’t assume the job is done. Make sure you keep monitoring and testing security controls at all times.

Leverage Existing Schemes

‘The most important stuff isn’t complex. Getting the basics right with Cyber Essentials can greatly reduce the threats’ – Richard Bach, Co-Founder & Director at XQ Cyber

The good news is, while the world of cyber crime is constantly evolving, so are the ways to take action against it.

There are many online resources out there to help you!

For example, the government-backed Cyber Essentials scheme is specifically designed for SMEs, and can help prevent up to 80% of all attacks.

Assume You’ll Be Hacked

‘Prepare and test a plan to identify, communicate and recover to ensure you can rapidly resume business with limited impact’ – Sam Smith, Head of Digital Risk and Security at Cadent Gas Ltd

The fact is: no business is safe from cyber crime.

So, don’t wait until the worst happens! If you have a plan in place, you’ll not only make your business less susceptible to risks, but better equipped to deal with them if they happen.

You want to build a strong strategic approach. Hackers and threats will be able to detect your weaknesses, so don’t give them anything to take advantage of.

Ask yourself:

• How safe is your data?
• Can your business manage through a period of temporary downtime?
• Are all your systems backed up?

Preparing for the worst is a proactive approach! You’ll give your business the best chance of staying safe from cyber crime.

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