Protecting your business from cyber attacks
Anyone with half an eye on the news in recent months will have noticed the increased spate of cyber attacks taking place. A recent report from the Association of British Insurers noted that 74% of SMEs are reported to have suffered a security breach in the past 12 months alone.
Anyone with half an eye on the news in recent months will have noticed the increased spate of cyber attacks taking place. A recent report from the Association of British Insurers noted that 74% of SMEs are reported to have suffered a security breach in the past 12 months alone.
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PROTECTING YOUR<br />
BUSINESS FROM<br />
CYBER ATTACKS<br />
1 August 2017<br />
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CYBER SECURITY UPDATE<br />
Anyone with half an eye on the news in recent months will have noticed the increased spate of<br />
<strong>cyber</strong> <strong>attacks</strong> taking place. A recent report <strong>from</strong> the Association of British Insurers noted that<br />
74% of SMEs are reported to have suffered a security breach in the past 12 months alone.<br />
What does this have to do with me, you might ask? You work for <strong>your</strong>self. You don’t have to<br />
worry about multinational IT infrastructure. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.<br />
Individual workers are often the weakest link in the security chain. A recent IBM investigation<br />
noted that 95% of <strong>cyber</strong> security breaches are down to human error. With <strong>cyber</strong> crime quickly<br />
becoming a multifaceted, dynamic and constantly evolving threat to security it’s imperative<br />
that you protect <strong>your</strong>self.<br />
Most small <strong>business</strong> owners don’t take <strong>cyber</strong> security seriously. They think that their <strong>business</strong><br />
is too small to attract the attention of a hacker. That laissez-faire attitude, however, is exactly<br />
the reason why 43% of <strong>cyber</strong> <strong>attacks</strong> target small <strong>business</strong>es – hackers are aware that most<br />
SMEs don’t invest in <strong>cyber</strong> security. How can you protect <strong>your</strong> <strong>business</strong> <strong>from</strong> <strong>attacks</strong>? Here are<br />
a few of our top tips:<br />
http://blog.kingsbridge.co.uk/protecting-<strong>your</strong>-<strong>business</strong>-<strong>from</strong>-<strong>cyber</strong>-<strong>attacks</strong>/<br />
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Update <strong>your</strong> passwords<br />
We know that updating <strong>your</strong> passwords can be annoying. With so many to keep track of, the<br />
temptation to have one and be done with it is strong. But why not use a password<br />
management tool like LastPass? It’ll manage all <strong>your</strong> passwords (and even suggest better<br />
ones) so you don’t have to.<br />
Strong passwords are imperative. Avoid using personal information (birth dates, names of<br />
children and so on) and try and mix letters, numbers, and symbols. You should try and aim for<br />
at least 8 characters too.<br />
Keep <strong>your</strong> eye on the ball<br />
Keeping an eye on the <strong>cyber</strong> side of <strong>your</strong> <strong>business</strong> when you’ve got enough on <strong>your</strong> plate<br />
already can seem like one chore too many. However, it could make the difference when it<br />
comes to keeping <strong>your</strong> <strong>business</strong> running smoothly.<br />
Our advice? Make sure <strong>your</strong> systems are monitored and tested for potential gaps in security<br />
on a monthly basis – don’t leave it until <strong>your</strong> data has already been breached. Keep <strong>your</strong><br />
software up-to-date, invest in good anti-virus software, and try making <strong>your</strong> <strong>business</strong> more<br />
secure by adding multi-factor authentication to any networks or email accounts.<br />
One more thing – don’t wait too long. When an update or a patch becomes available for<br />
software you use, make sure to install it as soon as possible. The sooner you protect <strong>your</strong>self,<br />
the harder it’ll be for hackers to come after you.<br />
http://blog.kingsbridge.co.uk/protecting-<strong>your</strong>-<strong>business</strong>-<strong>from</strong>-<strong>cyber</strong>-<strong>attacks</strong>/<br />
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Speak to someone in the know<br />
Keeping costs down is an important part of running a small <strong>business</strong>. But there are some areas<br />
where you need to invest. Whether you’re just starting out or have been in <strong>business</strong> for years,<br />
it’s a good idea to hire an IT professional who can find any vulnerabilities in <strong>your</strong> system and<br />
make sure you have the right procedures and threat assessments in place.<br />
Paying a consultant may be costly, but it’s a great investment. Think of it this way: if you<br />
sprung a leak in the kitchen and <strong>your</strong> home started filling up with water, would you try and fix<br />
it all by <strong>your</strong>self? It’s unlikely. You’d call an expert.<br />
Most of us don’t know the first thing about plumbing. The same principle applies to <strong>cyber</strong><br />
security. The right person will be able to advise you, and assist with, the best course of action<br />
to protect <strong>your</strong>self against <strong>cyber</strong> <strong>attacks</strong>.<br />
Get the right insurance in place<br />
Having <strong>cyber</strong> insurance in place as a small <strong>business</strong> is essential. You can hope that security<br />
breaches won’t happen, and you can do <strong>your</strong> best to ensure that they don’t, but it’s always a<br />
good idea to make sure <strong>your</strong> <strong>business</strong> is covered. If there’s a security breach and <strong>your</strong><br />
company is held liable, you could end up having to pay out huge sums to cover costs and<br />
damage.<br />
http://blog.kingsbridge.co.uk/protecting-<strong>your</strong>-<strong>business</strong>-<strong>from</strong>-<strong>cyber</strong>-<strong>attacks</strong>/<br />
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Our Cyber Liability cover includes protection against <strong>business</strong> interruption, <strong>cyber</strong> extortion and<br />
ransom, as well as assistance with system and data rectification and cover for regulatory<br />
defence and penalties. Alongside that you’ll also have access to ReSecure, a dedicated 24-hour<br />
helpline and specialist <strong>cyber</strong> incident report service.<br />
Want to know more? Take a look here. If you’re interested in adding Cyber Liability cover to<br />
<strong>your</strong> existing policy just give one of our expert customer service team a call on 01242 808740.<br />
This excerpt was taken <strong>from</strong> http://blog.kingsbridge.co.uk/protecting-<strong>your</strong>-<strong>business</strong>-<strong>from</strong><strong>cyber</strong>-<strong>attacks</strong>/<br />
http://blog.kingsbridge.co.uk/protecting-<strong>your</strong>-<strong>business</strong>-<strong>from</strong>-<strong>cyber</strong>-<strong>attacks</strong>/<br />
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