14.03.2017

Can your business survive without a cyber security professional?

As a manager, you likely know that cyber security is extremely important in the current age due to the number of threats which are imposed on businesses and individuals daily. If there are any compromises with the way in which security is monitored on your business' devices, your customer or client data and your brand reputation may come under threat. 


This very discussion arose when experts attended an event run by Barclays bank and claimed that "It's easier to hack into humans than a computer system" http://guernseypress.com/business/2017/02/27/its-easier-to-hack-humans-than-a-computer-system. This quote essentially means that people are falling for cyber threats in the digital age by unintentionally handing over personal details to criminals, rather than having their systems scoured to gain inside information. 

According to The Telegraph [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/defence/11663761/Cyber-attacks-cost-British-industry-34bn-a-year.html], the most common businesses facing cyber hacks include utility services, financial services, manufacturing, real estate and business. Customers rely on businesses to keep their personal information safe. Combatting these issues can cost businesses thousands - through losing out on income when systems are down and having to pay hackers to restore data back onto the system. Cyber attacks cost businesses roughly £34 billion every year [http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/news/2412485/hackers-costing-uk-businesses-gbp34bn-a-year].

How can cyber threats affect businesses?

Once data is hacked, clients and customers may not feel too comfortable with allowing your business to have access to their personal information. According to Simon Placks, a forensic investigator at Deloitte, "People often assume, wrongly, that vulnerabilities in software or systems are the sole concerns for businesses. However, it is businesses’ employees that are the easiest target for perpetrators of cybercrime". Businesses may respond to 'customer' emails when the person behind them could be someone entirely different playing a very convincing hacking game. In this instance, businesses may lose out on returning customers.

How to prevent cyber attacks 

The majority of cyber threats come in the form of email; however, there are also occasions in which threats present themselves as advertisements or pop-ups.

Emails may be sent to your inbox from individuals whom you don't have as contacts, asking for personal details such as bank account information and phone numbers. Despite this, there are often occasions when emails present themselves as recognisable email addresses or contact names, which is how many individuals fall for hacking crimes. 

Barclays worker, Mr Tinsley claims "It is important to create a culture where your employees are encouraged to report fraud threats, even if they have been unwillingly involved". It is crucial that employees immediately flag these emails, yet it is usually difficult to spot whether an email is legitimate. That's why hiring a cyber security expert is key in the 21st century.

An in-house cyber security professional will help your business by staying ahead of the latest security threats and ensuring that your security measures are robust and that individual employee passwords are strong. For more information on employing a cyber security professional, visit our employer zone where you can browse our featured candidates [https://www.cloud-scope.co.uk/cm/employers/employer-zone].
 
Posted by: CloudScope Recruitment