SHOCK STAT: A third of business owners don’t trust their staff
Do you trust your employees with sensitive business data? You might be shocked to learn how many business owners don’t. But why… ? We have the answers.
Never mind “can’t teach an old dog new tricks”…
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but what happens when it’s a young pup that needs training? New research on people under 40 has revealed a scary attitude towards cyber security. We tell you more here.
The biggest risk to Cyber Security is human error
The most likely targets for all sorts of cyber attacks are small and medium sized businesses. They don’t have the budgets for dedicated staff or numerous layers of protection.
But the weakest link in any security chain is your staff.
Good cyber security awareness training is essential for everyone in your business.
You will need a strategy to start with.
Stop! And think, before you act on that email
How many times a day do you respond to an email without really thinking about its contents?
Maybe it’s a request for some information. Perhaps it’s asking you to pay an invoice. All mundane stuff. But no sooner than you’ve hit send, you’ve fallen victim to a Business Email Compromise (BEC) attack.
A BEC attack occurs when a cyber criminal gains access to your business email account and uses it to trick your employees, customers, or partners into sending them money or sensitive information. They do this by impersonating someone senior, and abusing their position of trust.
It might sound like something that only happens to big corporations, but that’s not the case.
According to the FBI, small and medium-sized businesses are just as vulnerable to BEC attacks as larger ones. In fact, these attacks have cost businesses more than £20 billion over the past few years.
And Microsoft brings more bad news, with its recent findings showing that they’re getting both more destructive and harder to detect.
Back up your business data in 2023
One day it could save your business
Backing up your data is one of the strongest precautions you can take. Set it up properly and make it part of your routine to check that it’s working. Because one day your backup could save your business.
Back up your data – one day it could save your business
We all hope disasters will never happen.
But of course they can, and do. So it’s best to be prepared. That’s why a reliable backup system is one of the most important protections you can put in place.
Where do you start? Watch our latest video for some expert advice.
Charging in public places? Watch out for “juice jacking”
Airports, hotels, cafés, even shopping centres, offer public charging points where you can boost your phone or laptop battery on the go.
They’ve been in the news after the FBI recently tweeted advice to stop using them. Crooks have figured out how to hijack USB ports to install malware and monitoring software onto devices as they charge.
The security risk of “juice jacking” was long thought to be more theoretical than real, but the tech needed to carry out an attack has got smaller and cheaper and easier to use. This means less sophisticated criminals are now turning their hand to it.
So how does it work?
Windows is the prime target for cyber criminals
With its huge dominance in the workplace, Microsoft’s Windows has become the prime target for cyber criminals. They’re looking to access your information, disrupt your business, or hold your data to ransom.
Tens of millions of attempted malware attacks were discovered throughout this year, and a massive 95% of those threats were targeted at Windows.
The vast majority of attacks are unsuccessful, but those that do succeed can create havoc for the affected businesses. So you need to be sure that you’re taking all possible precautions to protect your business and your data.
Are you really downloading Zoom… or is it malware?
When you think about tools for remote working and chatting online, one of the first names in your mind is Zoom.
But its popularity has opened the door for cyber criminals. They’re using its name to steal sensitive data.
Researchers have discovered at least six convincing-looking download sites. They’re not the real thing. They’re designed to tempt you into downloading FAKE Zoom software, containing ‘info stealers’ and other forms of malware (malicious software).
Accidentally use one of these sites thinking that you’re downloading a Zoom update… and you risk having sensitive data stolen. Possibly your banking info, passwords or browser history.
Some can even steal your multi-factor authentication details. That could give cyber criminals access to your most sensitive data.
tKnowIT achieves Cyber Essentials certification for another year
I am pleased to announce that tKnowIT Limited has achieved Cyber Essentials certification for a further year.