Are you looking at cyber security in the right way?

Businesses have always dealt with security risks, and cyber risks are no exception. How often do you think the average business has come under attack from cyber-attacks? Once or twice? Maybe up to ten times a year?

An internet provider reported that in 2016, UK businesses were cyber attacked 260,000 times each. Yes, that’s 260,000 times each. That’s a risk of sensitive data being breached on average once every two minutes.

Surely it won`t happen to my business

If you have anything online, a website, a server, then your business is at risk. Cyber attacks are on the rise. That’s a fact, not a prediction. A cyber attack isn’t just a loss of a few emails, it’s the longer term damage of broken trust and the risk of being fined. The risk of cyber security is so great that the government have established the Cyber Essentials Scheme.

Helping businesses and people adapt to the digital world

This scheme set up by the government is designed to help businesses put the right measures in place to prevent and deal with cyber security attacks. The Cyber Essentials Scheme is a service where you can advertise that your business meets specific requirements. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a new legislation that will affect all companies who deal with sensitive data on EU residents and nationals. GDPR will come into effect for the UK from 2018, so it’s important that your cyber security ensures watertight compliance.

A top down, bottom up approach to cyber security

Whilst the government-led initiative is forward-thinking, companies still need to do more. Businesses need to ensure they have an in-depth, multifaceted approach to their cyber security. The government scheme isn’t enough, and assuming that the IT department have it covered is no longer sufficient. The responsibility for cyber security and compliance lies across the whole organisation. The need for cyber security will differ from one department to another, so it’s essential to have the entire organisation thinking about cyber security

What can your business do?

Your organisation can start by getting the basics down. Understanding areas of risk and laying the foundations will ensure that further cyber security efforts will be worthwhile. Assessing your current position is always the place to start. The ideal platform to use is the government’s Cyber Essentials Scheme. This provides a basic framework that will assess the gaps in your cybersecurity and show you ways to remediate them. It’s a quick process that gives you useful, actionable feedback.

In conclusion, cybersecurity is an essential aspect that all businesses need to be aware of and implement effectively throughout all levels of their business.