Don’ t leave yourself wide open to cyber-attack
Chris Petty, managing director of Cornerstone Business Solutions, issues advice for organisations to help protect their IT security following the global cyber-attacks that recently paralysed NHS systems
Everyone thinks‘ It won’ t happen to me’ but it’ s very possible that hundreds, maybe even thousands, of North-East firms – especially SMEs- are leaving themselves wide open to cyber-attack.
I know of several Teesside organisations that have been the subject of the ransomware that so badly disrupted the NHS.
Of course, the most sensible rule to follow is to avoid opening emails if you are in any way suspicious of their contents or the sender. Simply delete it completely.
Here’ s some more important considerations to help protect your IT security:
Backups Backing up your data on a daily basis is the most important action. This will mean that even the worst case scenario means losing only a day’ s data. Businesses that do carry out daily backups should also check that the backup is working as it should, paying particular attention to any notifications they receive. An offsite backup solution is safest.
Antivirus All businesses and individuals should ensure that their antivirus is up-to-date and enabled. Antivirus should be installed on every server, PC, laptop and tablet within a network. If you have machines that have not been used for a while, check to make sure they have the required protection before connecting them to your networks. Don’ t rely on free antivirus protection. This may provide some protection but it is not enough. It’ s the equivalent of having a house alarm that only protects your back door.
Chris Petty( centre) with his fellow Cornerstone directors John Storey( left) and Chris Clark.
Malware Protection Malware is software specifically designed to disrupt, damage or gain access to a computer system.
Some antivirus products claim to offer malware protection as well as antivirus protection. There is no product on the market that can rightly claim this, so a product specifically designed to protect against malware is recommended, in addition to a recognised and up-to-date antivirus product.
Security Policy All staff should reset their passwords immediately and ensure that the new password includes: i) At least eight characters, ii) At least one uppercase, iii) One number and one special character.
Windows Updates Ensure your machines are fully up-to-date with Windows Updates. If you haven’ t checked or updated your machine for a while then do it now. Windows XP and Windows 2003 Server are no longer supported by Microsoft and are therefore vulnerable. Disconnect Windows XP PCs or laptops from your network.
Get in touch to find out more on advicecorner @ cornerstonebs. co. uk or call 0845 223 2400.
Common Sense Don’ t open any emails that you are suspicious of. If you don’ t recognise the sender then delete these emails immediately by pressing and holding the“ shift” key and pressing delete. This will permanently delete the email instead of sending it to your deleted items. NEVER click on any hyperlinks in emails unless you are 100 % sure of their source.
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