Cyber attacks on the NHS, including on trusts across the East Midlands, brought into sharp focus the risks businesses face every day from online criminals. As a result cyber security is more important than ever.
Cyber attacks have been perceived as one of the highest risks to business for several years and, according to the Business Continuity Institute’s most recent Cyber Resilience Report, two-thirds of organisations have experienced at least one cyber attack and 15% have suffered ten or more.
Cyber crime is a rapidly-growing phenomenon of modern business and one that is very hard to stay one step ahead of.
The potential for any business to fall victim to cyber criminals increases by the day.
It corresponds almost exactly with the dependence on computers and online technology in most businesses.
But the threat is not just one of disruption, it’s also the damage that can be done to corporate reputation, and the huge financial penalties companies will face from next year when the European Union General Data Protection Regulations come into force.
Staff working on computers are often the weakest link when it comes to cyber attacks, but they can also be your last line of defence.
As such, it’s important for all your staff to be able to recognise the risks, which makes training crucial to corporate security.
Here are some other top tips to help keep your website and your data safe and secure:
- Make cyber security a business-wide issue
Cyber security should be viewed not only as an IT problem but also as a business performance or compliance one. It needs a centralised approach, with clear accountability, to enable an organisation-wide staff culture that prioritises awareness of the risks and good data management.
- Understand the risks
A risk assessment is the only way your organisation can identify its exposure to specific risks and their potential solutions. You should carry out an accurate assessment of the direct costs involved in dealing with a breach, as well as the wider knock-on effects it could on your business.
- Have a robust cyber security policy
Having a written cyber security policy in place is crucial, as is a formal incident management process. Staff education and training is also key. Many SMEs don’t realise their IT service provider can help create policies and training programmes, as well as ensuring their networks and infrastructure are able to support these policies and can secure their data.
- Protect your data
Use data encryption capable of securing cloud-based backup systems and private data stores to ensure your data is safe and can be accessed in an emergency. This will help minimise downtime and disruption and get your business back up-and-running quickly in the event of an incident.
- Trust your IT provider
Build up a good working relationship with your IT and telecoms provider. They can provide expert advice on cyber security best practice and identify the best technologies to help minimise the risk to your business. They can pinpoint vulnerabilities in your networks and advice on the best strategy to deal with the risks.
At Spectrum, customer satisfaction is our highest priority. We’ll take the time to build a partnership and gain a true understanding of your business, so we can deliver a bespoke solution tailored to your exact needs.
We work with market-leading providers to deliver solutions which address your deployment, management, security and control issues.
To find out how Spectrum can give you extra peace of mind and minimise the risks of a cyber attack hitting your business, get in touch today.
