The NCSC 2022 Annual Review just dropped: RS22 take

The latest NCSC Annual review is out now. Follow the link at the bottom of the page to go and check it out for yourself. But the question is; "Is it worth your time?"

Here are a few opinions from the RS22 : We Do IT Security staff, so you can decide how much time to put into your read-through.

Rich Smith MD says: "This is why we set up RS22 in the first place. Early on I could see a dangerous pattern emerging and knew that the only way to help people and businesses resist a growing shitstorm of threats and attacks was to make sure that those in the dark had someone they could trust in doing their best to keep the bad-guy's hands off their data. It's been obvious for a long time that digital threats are growing, and that may be because the path to working in the dark side is easier than the light. Young people can begin to make money from the dark arts almost straight away and learning to hack only requires a computer. Getting a paying job in the industry is harder than it should be because companies don't always invest in complete noobs. We do our bit where ever we can, but it's a balancing act of training up the right types of people and ensuring that the customers we work with get a high quality of service. I'm pleased to see in the report that CyberFirst have engaged thousands more bright, enthusiastic young people in cyber security'.

"This is why we set up RS22 in the first place. Early on I could see a dangerous pattern emerging and knew that the only way to help people and businesses resist the many types of threats and attacks was to make sure that those businesses in the dark had someone they could trust to do their best to ensure their safety"

Rich Smith

Aaron Matthews, Sales Manager says: "After reading through the NCSC report my thoughts are that it only points out the obvious trends we've noticed in the last 5 years. If someone is totally new to the industry and wants to understand the basic lay of the land in Cyber Security, then it might be?a good read for them. I think the professionals that I deal with regularly already know that ransomware and supply-chain risks are serious issues from way before 2022 and obviously will continue to be as we move forward to 2023 and beyond. Tell me something I don't know!"

"Tell me something I don't know!"

Aaron Matthews

Mark Hills; Cyber Security Consultant says: "Interesting to note that the Early Warning services rose by over 90%, while the 6.5 million reports from the public to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) this year shows some good news; that people are both becoming more cyber aware and contributing to our resilience.? The most significant threat facing both citizens and small businesses continues to be from cyber crime, such as phishing, while hacking of social media accounts remained an issue. Official figures reveal there were 2.7m cyber-related frauds in the 12 months to March 2022 in the UK. These numbers make for bleak reading because few businesses are truly equipped to deal with these types of threats."

"Good news; people are both becoming more cyber aware and contributing to our resilience."

Mark Hills

Oliver Gateley, Marketing Manager says: "CTRL F + 'Human' = zero results. Seems a shame because some of the cutting edge companies we work with understand that the Humans in our organisations need to be trained and coached positively to work alongside Technology to ensure a holistic approach to security. It's not just the responsibility of one department. Silly and easily avoidable mistakes from Humans caused a significant portion of the damage done in the last 12 months. There are plenty of ways to reduce that risk in your businesses"

"Humans in our organisations need to be trained and coached positively to work alongside Technology"

Oliver Gateley

Navigating the treacherous path to getting the right solution for your business can be a massive headache. Where do you turn when you've already got a ton of tasks to get though and new ones dropping in daily? The ￡10.1b that is the estimated total InfoSec industry value still pales into insignificance when compared to the proceeds of CyberCrime. A ￡200 lock on your front door stops an intruder taking stuff insured for ￡20,000. But knowing who to trust to put the right lock on your door and teach you how to use it is only half the battle (and one RS22 : We Do IT Security will happily help you with). But making sure your kids don't leave the front door unlocked on their way out to school is the other half of the battle and that's where our motto #HumansBeforeTechnology comes in.

In general we recognise that the NCSC annual report is attempting to highlight how significantly ransomware and phishing attacks have grown, and how they shall continue to increase in both frequency and severity in the coming months and years, and IT Security professionals the world over are going to need all the help they can get.

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The name we use for the bad guys here is #DataBandits. A catch-all phrase for those people who want to hack, siphon, steal, destroy and damage businesses through various illicit electronic means. Sometimes it's purely for profit, sometimes it's because of international politics or warring states. Sometimes is because they revel in the madness they can cause and the infamy they can accumulate. Regardless of their intent, it seems they operate from the Dark side.

RS22 and others in our industry stand against #DataBandit behaviour and rally behind to the banner of the good guys in our current CyberWar; the #ElectricSherrifs.

The Light side is probably the side that you are on if you decide of one another will never truly disappear, the cyber version of the Light Side vs the Dark Side, but only one of these groups actually wants to help you succeed.

Let us help you on the battle front.?You don't have to do it alone.

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RS22 is an established provider of cyber defence solutions based around Humans-first Technology-second approach. All businesses vary in scale, size and function, meaning, there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to IT Security solutions. Those who says otherwise are either liars or a fools. We will always put Human needs first because the other path leads us to a dystopia, even if it is only one step at a time.

And what do most of the Humans we work with actually want?

They, like you, want IT Security Solutions to protect their businesses at sensible prices with excellent levels of service.

If you'd like RS22 on your side call: 0121 389 9022