etiCloud blog - An A to Z of cyber security part 1

8th May 2019

Cyber attacks represent a persistent threat to businesses.

According to the Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2019 carried out by the National Centre for Cyber Security (NCSC), 32% of UK companies identified cyber security breaches or attacks in the last 12 months with an annual average cost of £4,180. The survey also revealed that only 31% of businesses have completed a cyber risk assessment in the last year. And of those that did, 32% discovered that new measures were required to prevent future attacks. Cyber security is a topic we should all take extremely seriously. By working together to combat cyber criminals, we can make a real difference. As such, we've put together an A to Z of cyber security to provide further information on how to prevent security breaches and lessen any consequences should your business suffer a cyber attack. A is for assurance Protecting your company's intellectual property, your clients' data and business critical information is paramount. And with new methods to connect and share information emerging almost on a daily basis, the chance of a data breach or cyber attack is heightened. You must, therefore, provide the very highest levels of assurance by identifying and resolving any cyber risks, complying with industry and legal standards and regularly reviewing privacy and cyber security systems. B is for 'Bring your own device' (BYOD) It's no longer unusual for employees to use their own devices to access company servers and data, particularly when working from home. Whilst this offers a high degree of flexibility and convenience, it also represents an additional cyber security risk if unsecured devices are used to connect to the server. C is for cyber attack Almost a third (32%) of UK business and two in ten charities (22%) reported a cyber security attack in the last 12 months according to the NCSC's Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2019. D is for dark web Not visible to ordinary search engines such as Google or Yahoo, the dark web can only be accessed via an anonymous browser. It is predominantly used for criminal activity from the acquisition of illegal drugs and firearms, to the purchase of bank card numbers and stolen subscription credentials. E is for employees Your employees are your best ambassadors but they're also an unsuspecting weak point when addressing cyber security. Ensuring that ALL personnel are educated on the topic of cyber security and are able to spot any potential risk is crucial to implementing the very highest levels of cyber security throughout your business. F is for fake invoice Scammers will often use individuals' data to impersonate a business contact and send an email to members of your staff in an attempt to get them to transfer money; this is often attempted in the form 'fake invoice'. Accounts departments are busy places. The scam emails often include personal information that makes them appear entirely genuine so it's not unusual for employees to fall for the fake. G is for 'get support' You're not alone! Expert support and advice is just a phone call away. Our cyber security team is ready and waiting to carry out a cyber security risk assessment and deliver a complete solution that is bespoke to your business. Give us a shout, we're here to help. H is for hacking Hacking is the term used for any unauthorised access to information, data or systems. Super sophisticated and proven to be prosperous, hacking is now a highly organised industry that enables cyber criminals to target millions of companies across the globe. Learn more at https://everythingthatis.cloud/