TECH [ 2020 ]
R
CYBERCRIME: A risk you can’ t ignore
eports by the Annual Fraud Indicator highlight that cybercrime is costing businesses around £ 193billion per annum. In Northern Ireland alone, an astonishing 9 out of 10 businesses have suffered a cyber breach this year.
Cybercrime is a real threat to organisations, resulting in business downtime, data loss, dented pockets and a diminished reputation. Surprisingly, many businesses still do not have preventative measures in place to deal with this. With the frequency and severity of cyber incidents on the rise, it’ s a risk you simply can’ t afford to take. It’ s essential to be vigilant, form a strategic plan of action and ensure your business is protected.
SME’ s bearing the Brunt of Cyber Crime
According to The PSNI, in Northern Ireland alone, it is estimated that over £ 13m was lost to online fraud in 2015. With lower security defences, outdated software and lack of awareness, small businesses are bearing the brunt of cybercrime.
Patrick Leggett, Director at Xperience IT Solutions comments“ Cyber criminals are employing increasingly sophisticated means of stealing data, so there is no option but for SME’ s to do more to protect themselves. We urge all organisations to understand the risks, educate staff, introduce policies and develop a strategic action plan to address any security concerns”.
Take Steps to CyberResilience
Cyber security preparedness starts with having a complete understanding of the internal and external vulnerabilities that can affect your business. As a business, you must insure that positive steps are taken to manage cyber threats, minimise risk and become cyber resilient.
To tackle this issue head on, Xperience IT Solutions recommend using the following steps as a guide:
1. Review your internal skills and knowledge, determine if external help is needed. 2. Once a skillset has been sourced,( whether internal or external) create a strategic action plan which includes measures to prevent, detect and respond to potential security threats. 3. It’ s all about education, so ensure that all staff are aware of any preventative security plans and trained where necessary. It is a good idea to include such information within your HR policies and procedures. 4. Take extra precautions when handling emails with attachments, before opening ensure it is from a trusted source. 5. Ensure that important business data is being backedup. In the event that backups aren’ t in place or functioning correctly, seek advice from a trusted IT provider. 6. Create a knowledge sharing hub, so that when new strains of ransomware come into circulation all members of the organisation know what to look out for.
The harsh reality is; the longer the recovery time, the higher the cost is to your business. Ultimately, it is the prevention methods in place that will determine the impact of the attack, and reduce the risk of mass data loss. At this stage, the question is not“ if” a cyberattack will take place, it’ s“ when”.
About Xperience IT Solutions
Xperience IT Solutions, an Xperience Group business, is a leading IT Solutions provider in Northern Ireland. Xperience IT Solutions has worked with hundreds of SME’ s across the province to devise security strategies and recovery measures for those who have experienced attacks, and is well positioned to help organisations devise action plans.
To speak to an Xperience Consultant about your IT security Email: Enquiries @ xperiencegroup. com Visit www. xperienceitsolutions. co. uk
50 www. businessfirstonline. co. uk