Cyber security fundamentals to keep you and your business safe online

As we continue to rely heavily on digital and online services for everything from banking and shopping, to socialising and dating, it is vital that individuals and businesses know how to stay safe in this online world.

Prioritising your business’s online safety and security

At its core, cyber security is about businesses and individuals taking steps to reduce the risk of a cyber-attack. In order to do this efficiently and effectively we must protect all our devices, and the services we use on them.

Good and effective cyber security awareness will not only protect sensitive business information from attack, but it will also ensure staff and customers’ personal information is safe, and not at risk of theft. Our cyber experts can help you every step of the way to ensuring your business is operating as safely as possible online.

More than just a secure password

Password management is a vital cyber security essential, but a good password alone won’t keep you or your business safe. A cyber attack could come in many forms, and it is important that you and your staff are aware of steps to take to mitigate these risks, but also that you are aware what an attack could look like, and most importantly what to do if an attack is discovered.

Malware, ransomware and phishing

The world of cyber security has a language all of it’s own. As your trusted advisors, Immervox is here to work with you to understand and make sense of this world and how it could impact your business. Our cyber-experts work with our customers every step of the way, from spotting that first vulnerability, through to a fully embedded cyber security policy and solution.

Malware

Malware is what you would originally call a computer virus. The malware is designed to infect your device and to disrupt or damage it, or in more serious cases, to gain access to sensitive information that may be on the system or even leak private or sensitive information.

Ransomware

Similarly to malware, ransomware is a malicious piece of software deigned to infect your device. However, ransomware is designed specifically to block access to your device until a sum of money is paid. This type of attack is predominantly aimed at individuals, although businesses are regularly targeted. The attacker prays on the vulnerability and naivety of individuals, and relies on panic and fear to extort often large sums of money out of individuals who may not be aware that such attacks are even possible.

Phishing

Phishing is when a cyber attacker attempts to steal private information, download a virus on to your device, or access your bank account details by luring you into clicking a dangerous link. Text messages, emails, and social media messages are the most common channels for phishing scammers to target.

Recognise and mitigate the risk of attack

Humans make mistakes

While every step may be taken to put security measures in place, it cannot be forgotten that businesses are operated by people, and people make mistakes. Whether it’s a genuine mistake, or a malicious attack, human error cannot be ruled out.

Those who struggle to remember passwords, my unintentionally lose a piece of paper with their passwords written, a well-meaning employee may insert a ‘found’ USB stick into a computer to track down it’s owner or a disgruntled ex-employee may download and leak sensitive business information.

A robust and well-embedded cyber security policy will help to mitigate some of these factors, however an equally robust disaster recovery plan will ensure your business is back on its feet and fully operational as soon as possible.

Acronis partnership

Acronis Cyber Protect is a single integrated solution offering all the cyber protection and security you and your business needs. Their market-leading all-in-one cyber protection integrates cyber security, back up and protection management to keep your business flowing.

As part of the Acronis #CyberFit Partner Program, our cyber-experts can help you implement Acronis protection across your organisation and will guide you through the process to ensure the protection is tailor-made to fit your business needs.