According to recent studies, 4 out of 10 UK businesses reported suffering a cybersecurity breach in 2021, and the average (mean) cost of each attack is estimated at £13,400. With these stats in mind, Gildas Jones, founder of Dial A Geek, discusses the most common cybersecurity threats to businesses, as well as highlighting the scams that are rising in prevalence.
The most common cybersecurity breaches include password breaches as phishing attempts (including use of malware). Phishing is social engineering that manipulates users into revealing personal and confidential information, and recently there have been huge increases in these attacks (now the most “effective” threat). A few examples of phishing red flags include:
- Random emails from people you don’t know
- Emails asking you to send payments to a new bank account
- Emails asking you to change your password without you resetting it
- Emails asking you to sign in to profiles
The use of malware – an umbrella term including viruses, trojans, worms, ransomware, and spyware – is also an issue within phishing. An example of a malware red flag includes receiving suspicious emails with email attachments – this can also be an issue when downloading files from suspicious websites, or when using outdated computer systems.
With these threats in mind, Gildas also shared 10 key tips on keeping your business’ online profiles safe from predators. These include:
- Setting robust passwords
- Using password managers
- Using multifactor authentication (MFA)
- Using antivirus software
- Staff training
- Using firewalls
- Having access control (and conditional access control)
- Limiting the number of Administrator-level accounts
- Implementing single sign on (SSO)
- Running necessary updates
Gildas Jones, founder of Dial A Geek, commented:
“Recent years have started, or accelerated, some key trends in business world-wide, and there are five trends we’re seeing now that we believe will be ongoing features of the workplace of the future… These include digital transformation, social and environmental responsibility, cyber security, remote working, and productivity.
“According to recent studies, only 15% of users know how to protect themselves from cybercrime. With this shocking stat in mind, we wanted to give some actionable advice to businesses on how to keep their online profiles safe from predators.
“At Dial A Geek our mission is to help businesses grow with our Managed Services – if you have 10 or more employees and need a trusted partner to manage your IT systems, protect your data, assist you in compliance, and help you grow your business, contact us today”.
For more information on the full advice, visit: https://www.dialageek.co.uk/blog/common-cybersecurity-scams-the-red-flags-to-look-out-for/