CNC News Update 2018 Number 9
 
CNC News Update

CNC LogoCNC Nes Update

CNC

Welcome to our CNC newsletter.

Welcome to our late autumn newsletter.

This month we share some really important information about protecting your business. How to protect against cyber crime and how to be prepared for other disasters which may impact your business.

We hope you find this useful. Do get in touch if you would like help in understanding the threats to your business. You can contact us by email at sales@cnc-ltd.co.uk or call us on 01273 384100 for a no-obligation chat.

CNC 
 

Cyber-attacks on business up 55%!

In 2018 the number of cyber-attacks on businesses more than doubled.

There are many different kinds of cyber attack. The most common is the Trojan. Like the ancient warhorse, once installed on your computer, it will infect other files and potentially wreak havoc.

Another growth area for cyber attack is email compromise, where users are tricked into sending business critical or personal information to an email address. Or tricked into transferring money to the hacker's bank account.

There are also crypto-jacking and encryption attacks. If you thought encryption was a good thing, think again! Encryption can be used by cyber criminals to cover up their activities.

No matter how small your business, you need an understanding of the types of threats which you're likely to encounter and a comprehensive approach to online security.

Cyber Attacks Explained

Both Trojan attacks and the email compromise attack depend on users making a mistake. The most common way is by cllcking on a dodgy link in an email or opening an attachment, without first checking that the sender of the email is legitimate. Staff training is absolutely essential to prevent these sorts of attacks from impacting your business.

Trojan Attack

As described above. Trojans can be employed by cyber-thieves and hackers trying to gain access to users' systems. Users are tricked into loading and executing Trojans on their systems.

Trojan attacks were up 84% earlier this year, making them the most common form of attack on businesses and consumers.

Business email compromise

Many businesses are still vulnerable to phishing attacks, where a member of staff clicks on a link or opens an attachment without checking first that it is legitimate.

But not all email-borne attacks use malicious URLs or attachments. Impersonation attacks often use "social engineering" and are designed to trick key users such as finance department staff, executive assistants, and Human Resources staff, into making bank transfers or providing other payment information to cyber criminals.

They do this by pretending to be the Managing Director or a similar senior person in an organisation. They can also impersonate one of your regular suppliers. Some specifically target departments responsible for sensitive employee data, such as payroll. This data can then be used for identity theft. Detecting and blocking these types of attack requires thorough inspection of the content of emails.

Email security options will help but staff need to be aware of this type of attack and must be vigilant at all times so that your business does not become a victim.

Crypto-jacking

Crypto-jacking is when an attacker hijacks your computers to mine cryptocurrencies. Most of the time this doesn't directly result in data loss, but it can nevertheless affect your computer's power.

Increasingly crypto-jacking is combined with cloud-jacking (stealing processing power and storage from someone's cloud account) to further boost mining capabilities.To counter this threat you need:

  • Strong passwords
  • Endpoint virus protection
  • High level of security software on your Firewall.

Encrypted attacks

Encryption is a valuable tool for organisations and individuals. But this also makes it very attractive to cyber criminals, who use encryption to mask malicious behaviour.

Many organisations are unaware of the threat, and very few are using suitable mitigation techniques. Cyber criminals have become very adept at hiding in Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) traffic. Therefore it is so important that your firewall can do deep-packet inspection of the encrypted traffic.

CNC recommend SonicWall Firewalls to give your network the best possible protection.

FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED!

SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR YOUR BUSINESS

In the US 60% of businesses which suffer a cyber attack go under within 6 months. Even if your business recovers from the attack, the consequences for your business brand and image can be very serious. Be warned!

In the UK many businesses are still failing to implement the five steps recommended by the government's Cyber Essentials scheme. According to the annual Cyber Security Breaches Survey, only 50% of all businesses surveyed have implemented all five security measures as set out by the scheme.

HOW CNC CAN HELP

At CNC we are certified in Cyber Essentials. Security services we offer include:

  • Security Review service
  • Help with all aspects of control and security
  • Support businesses in obtaining Cyber Essentials certification.

If you would like CNC to review your security policy, or help you obtain Cyber Essentials certification, then please do not hesitate to contact us.

You can call us on 01273 384100 or email us at sales@cnc-ltd.co.uk.

Get in touch and make sure your business is protected.

LATEST BLOG POSTS

OUTSOURCING IT MAKES BUSINESS SENSE

Outsourcing IT can save businesses in the South East substantial sums of money every year and ensure technology and applications are always up-to-date. Click here for more

CHINESE SPY MICRO-CHIP DANGER

Be warned against buying hardware from China, it could be fitted with extra micro-chips designed to break into your organisation. Click here for more

CNC News Update

Could Your Business Survive a Disaster?

Do you have a documented Disaster Recovery plan should the worst happen and you lose all your IT services? If you have a plan, when was the last time you tested it?

Information Technology has become so critical to businesses that any small disruption can become a major issue. Loss of IT services impacts productivity. Equally important, it damages customer relationships if you are not able to provide the level of service your customers expect.

You need to ask yourself could your business survive one of the following Disasters?

  • Power failure
  • Fire
  • Cyber Attack
  • Theft
  • Terrorist threats
  • Severe weather conditions

These are all issues which your business needs to be prepared for, so that if disaster strikes you can pick things up quickly and get your business moving again.

Thankfully, a total power failure is a much more likely event than a terrorist attack, but it can be just as damaging to your business. The harsh truth is that you have to expect the unexpected. The answer is to have a Disaster Recovery Plan in place and to test it regularly. It can cost your business a lot of money if you are not able to get things up and running again quickly.

Disaster recovery and business contingency planning start with your IT infrastructure and the systems and processes you have in place to minimise the effect of any disaster.

A resilient IT solution is just as important as having standby generators in case of a power failure.

We strongly advise you to get a reality check and see how well-prepared your IT infrastructure is for a disaster situation. Information Technology is the life-blood of your organisation and it cannot be allowed to fail.

We have a number of products and services which will enable your business to continue if some or all of your IT infrastructure is impacted by a disaster.

Contact us on 01273 384100 or email us at sales@cnc-ltd.co.uk for a no-obligation chat and a free Disaster Recovery reality check.

CNC

CNC Logo

We hope you've found this newsletter informative and relevant to your business.

Do get in touch with your feedback and any ideas for future articles. We love to hear from you!

You can call us on 01273 384100 or email us at sales@cnc-ltd.co.uk.

Computer & Network Consultants Ltd, Unit 9 Riverside Business Centre, Brighton Road, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, BN43 6RE