Covid 19 has had an impact on everyone’s lives, but there have been some positive changes to come from a very difficult time. Working from home had been promoted as the new way to work, but with the sudden impact of lockdown, this became a reality for many businesses worldwide. As we start to look to the future of operating a business in 2021 and beyond, the security of our information as well as our clients and suppliers, becomes more prevalent.
How do Cyber Attacks happen?
Since COVID-19 struck the world, there has been a sustained increase from cyber criminals looking to take advantage of the situation. They are constantly adapting and increasing the sophistication of their attacks. But with 99% of cyber-attacks generally requiring some form of personal interaction for them to be a success, there are ways to protect yourself and your business from the standard types of attacks.
Phishing email, a message to What’s App or a simple text message are generally the normal type of cyber-attack. Once opened, malware is activated and installed on to a laptop, PC, tablet, or mobile phone. This can then be used to access yours and others information, and if this is on a work device, can expose your business to some serious data breaches and loss of reputation for the business.
As we all know when the first lockdown took place back in March 2020, there was a rush to get the workforce set up for working from home. At that time, it may not have been a priority to look at all the security protocols required for staff using their devices. However, as the pandemic has continued, have you had a chance to review where your business cyber security is now?
How to protect your business from Cyber Attacks?
One of the standout ways, which many companies put a huge amount of confidence in, is to obtain a Cyber Essentials certificate. This will provide that much needed confidence for you and your customers that your business is meeting a cyber-security standard which is now recognised around the world.
Cyber Essentials can review the processes in place for your company and highlight any areas where the business may be open to attack from the criminals. Cyber Essentials is also renewed on an annual basis to ensure your business’s cyber-security is always up to date and relevant to you and your business.
Once you have completed the Cyber Essentials certification, you can step up to the additional level of security offered by Cyber Essentials Plus. This is a more detailed look into your business set up and the security of every device you have in place for your staff and customers. As working from home becomes more of the norm, prospective customers are looking for an additional level of confidence in cyber security from companies they do business with.
By having both certificates in place you can offer the peace of mind to your staff and customers, that you are up to date and ensuring security of their information. Given recent events around the world with Ransomware attacks, you may wish to add further to your security and have an International Organisation Standardisation certificate to reflect your company’s ability to be continually monitoring and improving your safety.
The most widely recognised certification a business could have is ISO 27001 Information Security Management Systems. The international standard is globally recognised for managing the risk to the security of the information your business holds. The certification allows you to provide proof that you are constantly reviewing and improving your Security Management System.
Read our cyber security checklist and essential controls for SMEs to find out more.
