Cyber Security - how do you know if you are at risk?
George Hesketh
Solution provider for your IT challenges and priorities. AI Advocate. Father, Husband, Rugby Player.
The modern world is now heavily reliant on the internet. Websites and social media have become vital channels of communication allowing companies to interact and sell to customers.
Businesses are also providing employees and partners with online access to their systems, and facilitating flexible working through cloud computing.
As the significance of the internet has grown, so has the ability of cyber criminals to attack. Their incentive is driven by increasing value placed upon data, which is now a highly prized commodity across the world.
Data is now your IP
As a result, the scale of the threat is at its highest level and as we saw last week and over the weekend, organised gangs, nation states and even bedroom hackers worldwide are targeting some of the largest and smallest firms. With simple tool kits readily available on the internet for just a thousand pounds it’s never been easier for cyber criminals to attack.
Variety of attacks
What makes cyber crime so hard to tackle is that it is ever evolving, because technology has no set form, there are many different avenues of attack that a victim can fall susceptible to. The types of attacks listed below are just a short sampling of the threats that exist.
Denial of Service Attack:
Or DoS attack as it is also known as it an attempt to make a machine or network resource unavailable to its intended users, such as to temporarily or indefinitely interrupt or suspend services of a host connected to the internet.
Phishing:
This is the fraudulent practice of sending emails purporting to be from a reputable source in order to encourage individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords, credit card numbers online as well as occasionally money through indirect means.
Water holing:
Creating either a fake or legitimate website in order to exploit users using it.
Ransomware:
A type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid. How can you stop RansomWare?
Spear-phishing:
Similar to phishing but involves sending targeted emails to individuals that could contain an attachment with malicious software, or a link to download an infected file.
74%* of organisations suffered a security breach last year.
Likelihood is 'It will be you!'
See how secure you are - Claim your FREE* Cyber Security Assessment today!
- Up to 4 hours consultancy from one of Probrand's qualified ACE practitioners
- Identify and analyse issues
- Guidance on improvements needed
- Part of the Government Cyber Essentials campaign
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What is Cyber Essentials?
On 5th June 2014, the UK Government officially launched the Cyber Essentials Scheme. This is a government backed, industry supported scheme to help organisations protect themselves against common cyber threats.
To attain a Cyber Essentials badge an organisation has to complete a self-assessment questionnaire, with responses independently reviewed by an external certifying body. These questions require an in-depth understanding of your computer network and IT infrastructure.
*T&C's apply.
*HM Government