How to Protect Your Business Against Cyber Attacks

October 13, 2021

It’s unsettling to see that cyber-crime raised significantly throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, it’s reported, that currently there is a data security incident almost every minute across businesses and organisations in the UK.

More than ever, organisations have to protect themselves against the dangers that ransomware and other cyberattacks pose, as well as any resulting data loss. For those in the Public Sector, such as schools, GP Practices & care homes, this presents a unique set of challenges – especially with the recent rise of remote working and constant emphasis on protecting confidential patient information.

At times, data loss can be frustrating, and in many cases, the impact is minor. However, allowing staff to access your internal systems from their own devices outside of the office, has the potential to cause huge security concerns if adequate precautions aren’t taken. Any solutions you choose also need to be compliant with all relevant data protection regulations – including GDPR.

It’s important to ensure that you are well equipped to prevent any kind of cyber-attack, therefore we have provided below some of the basic steps to put in place to better protect your information.

Why are cyber-attacks happening?

Cyber-attacks are increasingly on the rise, firstly because the security put in place before the global pandemic was not smart enough to support the increase in companies embracing cloud services and remote working. Employees are working in various locations, using their own devices, and are needing much more intelligent and thorough security measures.

Along with this, the size and scope of an organisation’s online presence has increased dramatically, which has increased the chances of experiencing some form of cyber-attack. Leaving your company contact details on a social media page can increasingly result in a phishing email, text message or phone call.

Phishing attacks are the most common way a hacker tries to gain entry into a system. The most popular modern threat are highly targeted phishing emails, known as spear phishing attacks. Criminals will do thorough background research to find details such as familiar names, email addresses and content that is relevant to you as an individual or company. They then target you with a seemingly legitimate phishing email to either gain sensitive information and try and gain access to your systems. For example, an employee could receive an email that looks like it’s from a reputable source, such as a bank, and asks the reader to click a link and verify their information. The link will not go to the bank’s real website, but an almost-perfect copy that the hacker developed themselves, form which any data submitted can be used for criminal purposes.

Along with this, SMSishing attacks have increased over the past two years. You can find out more about Smishing in our blog: Top tips on protecting your business against fraudulent SMS.

How do you best protect your organisation from cybercrime?

A layered approach to cyber security is certainly the most efficient and intelligent way to build the best possible defence against cybercrime.

Employee best practice – Make sure staff members are aware of targeted cybercrime by regularly and thoroughly training them.
Invest in a high-quality email security platform to filter out spam and malicious emails. Mimecast and Vipre are known for their high-level solutions.
Use a ‘next-generation’ endpoint solution to prevent devices from executing Malware. This is an essential solution to prevent Ransomware from affecting your organisation.
Network Management and Firewalls – Prevention is key and having someone keep an eye on your network ensures that any unexpected behaviour gets investigated immediately, allowing you to be proactive in keeping your data secure by stopping attacks before they get access in the first place. A robust firewall also shields your network from dangerous threats and prevents unauthorised access or infiltration, by inspecting incoming traffic for known attack methods and ensure that these do not inflict costly damage to your digital environment.
Make sure you work with a company that offers security solutions that extend the protections of your office network to your staffs’ home devices.

At NT Voice & Data Solutions, we are happy to provide advice on the right technology, training and cyber security services to protect your business. We can help all businesses and organisations, such as estate agents, hospitals, schools and more. Click here to contact us today, or call 01623 687753.