Simple Tips to Help Your Business Fight Cybercrime

by Startacus Admin

Cybercrime has become an increasingly worrying threat for modern businesses. Here are some handy simple tips to help your business fight cybercrime care of the team at Innovate UK.

Cyber security has become an increasingly worrying threat for modern businesses. In the UK each year alone, cybercrime costs businesses up to £30 billion. Those who are left vulnerable and open to attack tend to be those without a solid plan.

While modern businesses are prone to attack, there are definitely steps they can take to reduce their overall risk. Here are some of our easy to follow tips on how to protect your business: 

Stay Up-to-Date on Cybercrime

Keeping up-to-date on cybercrime and the trends surrounding the topic of cyber security is a smart first step to take. Knowing the threat in detail will help you know what and how to prepare.

Not only should you be keeping up on the wider topic at hand, but you should also be assessing your current security. Completing a cyber security audit will shed light on both the strengths and weaknesses of your current policies, as well as any dangers specific to your company.

This information, coupled with a better understanding of the actual threats, is an excellent way of strengthening your position. The key is in knowing what to protect and what to protect it from.

Place Security High on the Priorities List

It’s not enough to complete a software update every now and then, nor is it enough to say you’re taking security seriously. 

You have to act on that statement.

Place security high up on your list of priorities by spreading awareness and educating your entire organisation. Formulate a clear risk management policy and make sure everyone your company deals with (internal and external) understands and complies with it.

The idea of robust security and how everyone can contribute needs to permeate through the entire workplace. 

While it’s not wise to become paranoid about your employees, it is worth noting how they can cause a potential breach. Some may make a wholly unintended mistake; others may abuse their privileges. 

Creating a culture where neither of these is tolerated is crucial. The ideal outcome is a reduced risk in sloppy mistakes, as well as a heightened awareness of what can cause a problem and what could prevent it permeating through the workplace.

Imagine Every Worst Case Scenario

Don’t wait until you’re hacked to deal with the consequences. Don’t wait for evidence that you will actually be hacked before attempting to protect yourself.

Protect yourself anyway, under the assumption that sooner or later you will be hacked.

Implement password policies and 2-factor authentication, protect devices such as smartphones and tablets, and let everyone know exactly what you’re doing to mitigate the risks.

A good way to plan ahead is by imagining every possible worst case scenario. Assume that you’ll be hacked, and think of everything that can happen as a result. Will customer data be breached? Will the company need a period of downtime to recover and back up their systems? If so, how long will this take? 

Recovery and response times are both crucial, especially when dealing with sensitive information which could be compromised.

Create a plan for each given scenario – your response time will be quicker and your recovery time will ideally be reduced, which could end up saving your organisation from having to shut down completely.

Innovate UK has a wealth of information and a variety of programs at their disposal. If you’re interested, you can learn more about what they offer on their YouTube channel.

 

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Published on: 4th October 2018