Traditionally, cybersecurity issues fell on the shoulders of the IT department, however, with business becoming more and more digitised – it’s become more of a business issue.
Now more than ever, businesses need to shift their mindset from questioning “if” their business will experience a cyber-attack to “when” will they be threatened and “how” will they respond. There must be a cyber security procedure in place.
The truth is, every business is at risk of cybercrime. There are several factors that put your business in danger – we’ve listed just a few.
Phishing scams typically arrive in the form of fraudulent/fake emails which often appear to be totally legit, especially to a staff member’s untrained eye.
The aim of phishing emails is to either infect devices with malware (viruses), or to access personal data, including:
This information is then used to commit crimes such as credit card fraud and identity theft.
Additionally, links found in these emails contain malware which release viruses. Once a device is infected, perpetrators can gain authorized access to business data and networks, and operating systems.
Here are ten phishing scam examples that targeted small businesses in 2017.
As larger companies become more security conscious, cyber criminals have begun targeting smaller companies as a source of easily stolen personal information.
“But my business isn’t big enough to be a target”.
Assuming that your business is “too small to be a target” is just as dangerous as walking down a dodgy dark alley.
Unsecured networks and e-mails leave your company, staff and customers extremely vulnerable to a range of data-gathering cyberattacks.
The financial and legal consequences of cyberattacks can be momentous for business. Unlike consumers and identity theft, your business may not have the recourse from legal and financial institutions.
Additionally, clients may seek remuneration for their losses – resulting in expensive, drawn out lawsuits which in turn result in financial loss for your company and a damaged reputation.
Although banks offer security features and protected web pages – they don’t necessarily guarantee complete safety. Even the most secure websites may be susceptible to cyber criminals.
The same can be said for smartphones, their security flaws and online banking apps – nothing is entirely safe.
Without staff knowing the signs or being aware of the possibility of online banking hacks – criminals can easily gain access to your account and your business’ private financial information. This can lead to credit card fraud, fraudulent use of your business’ identity and potentially your business’ bankruptcy.
In 2016, social media scams skyrocketed on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. These scams are only expected to increase as businesses and their customers become more and more reliant on social media.
For most companies, social media marketing has become a critical part of their success. It is therefore imperative that brands ensure they know and understand the risks, while also taking steps to guard themselves.
One of the problems is most of us use the same login details for several accounts, some may even share the same login as your internet banking… Below are a few possible social media threats that your business faces every day:
When devices used across an enterprise aren’t managed well, they become a target for outside threats. Unsecure mobile devices pose one of the most significant business risks associated with unmanaged devices.
Employees who access company data over unsecure networks and unmanaged devices increase the risk of leaked and lost data dramatically.
Additionally, risky apps are a known weak point of entry for cyber criminals - with most people downloading and using them without thinking about their possible security risks.
Overall, unmanaged devices not only put business at risk, but also its employees and clients, intellectual property and personal data, while also jeopardizing its reputation.
Negligence, carelessness, and ignorance make us human – but they also put your business at risk of major cyber threats.
One of the most common mistakes in cybersecurity is clicking on links, opening unknown attachments, and entering personal information into a seemingly “friendly” account.
These types of scams are driven by social engineering and manipulation - taking advantage of human behaviour.
Every single day, staff members open emails from unknown senders, clicking on mysterious links – purely out of curiosity.
Firewalls, email filtering, and security patches are all vital – but if your employees aren’t security conscious no cybersecurity will keep your business safe.
It’s vital that businesses implement essential defence perimeters to protect business-critical data and back-end systems from cyber threats.
Our cybersecurity talks for business are aimed at just that.
We discuss with owners and staff the risk they pose to both their internet safety and their company’s cybersecurity.
We will explain the dangers of unsecure user owned devices, phishing emails and scams, potential risks and how to actively protect themselves.
A discussion on the possible online crimes that businesses face – online banking, shopping, tickets and travel all pose threats to security.
Our talks expose how rife cybercrime is – making employees aware of their own risk.
General online safety tips and facts intended to help employees protect themselves online during and after business hours.
Furthermore, we’ll discuss data protection, identity theft and how improve social media security.
Not all time online is negative, in this section we will discuss how to engage more productively with phones and how to naturally make time spent online more rewarding.
We’ll discuss the most appropriate etiquette for phones during business hours – when and how to use them correctly at work.
Phones are addictive, but they also influence mental health and wellbeing.
We will discuss with you your concerns about staff and deliver the talk accordingly; we can focus on both subjects, a general e safety talk and or a mental health discussion. Alternatively, we can talk about each subject on its own.
Contact us, to book a talk or for more information about our cyber security talks and how we can help you protect your business online.
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