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Cyber security
By Anthony Flemmer, of Defence Logic
“IT won’t happen to me” is an attitude which can leave you unprepared.
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month and, like many other local security solutions providers, Defence Logic have been taking part in the annual Cyber Security Awareness Conference and using the month to enhance cyber security awareness to support individuals and businesses.
As conference gold sponsors, we wanted to share our knowledge to help those we met to take preventative measures and defensive actions in case of a cyber breach.
Everyone is increasingly digitally connected and, often, we have no idea where our data are and who can access them.
Small businesses are often most vulnerable because they don’t have the resources to implement sophisticated IT systems. But because they often think “we’re too small to matter, it’ll never happen to us”, small businesses can be seen as soft targets, and a cyber attack can have devastating financial consequences.
The costs associated with recovering from a breach can be overwhelming, including expenses for system repairs, legal fees and potential regulatory fines.
There are many proactive measures that small-business owners can take to secure their data and IT infrastructure. These are our top three.
1.Employee training
Cyber security awareness training for employees is paramount. Human error is a common entry point for cyber attacks, so educating your staff on recognising and reporting threats is crucial.
2. Regular software updates
Keeping all software, operating systems and applications up to date with the latest security patches is essential.
Cyber criminals often exploit known vulnerabilities in outdated software.
3. Strong access controls
Limit access to sensitive systems and data to only those who need it. Implement role-based access control to ensure employees have access only to the resources necessary for their roles.
To help ensure that you have the right controls in place, we would also recommend undertaking some penetration “pen” testing or ethical hacking to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses in your network.
Pen testing actively exploits potential weaknesses to help you understand what additional or improved protection you need to put in place.
Crossing your fingers and leaving it to chance isn’t a great strategy.
Understand your weak spots and take advantage of our free pen test offer, which is available until 15 November.
