3 ways to make cyber security your main priority for 2021
According to gov.uk’s latest cyber security breaches report, published in March, the threat to our online activity remains high and phishing is still the most common approach taken by fraudsters.
Over the last 12 months, the report states that 39% of small businesses and a quarter (26%) of charities have been subject to cyber security breaches or attacks. The percentages increase as businesses get bigger, with 65% of medium businesses and 64% of large businesses being compromised.
A new business landscape for fraudsters
The changes to working practices during the pandemic have undoubtedly made cyber security harder for many businesses to manage. However, there are no reports of companies increasing the priority they place on it, despite there being many reasons why the presence of covid and remote working may increase the risks.
This so-called ‘blended’ working environment increases the need for a robust business continuity plan covering cyber security (which, worryingly, only 31% of businesses have) as well as introducing a potentially new risk for some due to the increased use of smart devices in the workplace.
Cyber warfare is a minefield
Just looking through this report (and seeing the sheer length and complexity of it) shows what a minefield cyber security is. That’s why our approach of providing what our clients need, as opposed what they want, comes into its own when we advise and supply our network security services.
We have been a ‘silver partner’ with industry leader, Sophos, for over ten years and we provide a wide range of security solutions from firewalls to email and web scanning to ensure your risks are minimised as far as possible.
Unique solutions for your unique business risks
Every business is different, which is why we recommend working closely with us so that we can identify a suite of solutions which will meet your unique security needs.
Our silver partner status also means we can provide full support to our clients for added peace of mind. In fact, if you choose the cloud version, we can monitor your security remotely, keeping a close eye on an ongoing basis and bringing you the most pro-active service there is.
And, like all the products and services we offer, simplicity is at the heart of it. We work with Sophos because we love their sophisticated functionality as much as the simple, intuitive user experience. Something which is so important for our clients to get the very best out of their systems and tools.
What actions can you take?
Here are 3 things you can do – right now – to start taking control of your online territory.
- Put cyber security front and centre of your organisation – this should absolutely be a management-level issue with swift decisions being critical to battling the evermore sophisticated attacker;
- Invest in tools which are fit for purpose. If your data is in the cloud, you will be open to different types of attack and should therefore have a solution that addresses this, for example, access control measures and data protection;
- Keep cybersecurity front of mind for everyone – this is a problem that could affect everyone within the organisation so it follows that everyone has a part to play in minimising the risks. Providing adequate training, doing your ‘housework’ when it comes to data and continually revisiting and checking workflows to spot weak links are all simple tasks that can help avert a complicated problem.
