Why it is more important than ever to secure your business.
It seems rare that the media isn’t carrying news of some sort of cyber security issue. And, during the current COVID-19 pandemic, cybercriminals are taking advantage more than ever. March saw the reporting of Virgin Media’s data breach, affecting 900,000 customers. This was due to an unsecured database being accessible online. In Virgin Media’s case the damage was limited, as the database was used for marketing. However, security breaches like this can have far more serious results for the company and those whose details have been stolen, with potential loss of reputation and financial repercussions due to fines or loss of business. TechRadar reported this week that the threat of cyberattacks has increased significantly due to cybercriminals registering a huge number of coronavirus-related domains through which to offer discounts and special promotions.
TechRadar quoted Check Point’s Head of cyber research Yaniv Balmas, who said: “Furthermore, we are seeing hackers using the attention on COVID-19 to spread their harmful “goods” in as many places as possible through COVID-19 specials and discounts on the dark net. The end result is more malicious tools in more wrong hands during this unique period of time, which puts us all more at security risk during the COVID-19 pandemic”.
With the regular news reports on data breaches for the household name brands, and the increasing targeting by cybercriminals on individuals and the SMB sector, it is more important than ever to secure your business and become aware of the threats.
Phishing emails
Phishing emails – when an employee is tricked into revealing personal information or clicking on a malicious link – are still used widely by cybercriminals. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2019, highlights that of the 32% of businesses and 22% of charities reporting a cyber security breach or attack in the previous 12 months, 80% of businesses identified a phishing attack as the most common cause, and charities put the figure at 81%.
In addition to phishing, there is vishing (with the fraudulent message conveyed via phone or voice message), and smishing (where text messages carry the criminal messaging), and pharming (which sees cybercriminals pointing to fake websites set up to resemble genuine sites).
Preventing cybercrime
Staff training, training, and more training is a vital weapon in the fight against cybercrime. But, one of the main problems with dealing with phishing type attacks is that it’s human nature to try and please and do one’s job well – and particularly when in a busy office environment, and if the request seems to come from a senior exec.
So layering security services is essential. Just as cybercriminals are continually developing methods of attack, so are the solutions and services from the cyber security industry continually evolving to counteract the attacks.
Contact us now to find out how we can help you with security solutions that can keep your business safe both during this unique situation and long-term. Email : hello@vibework.com
Tel: +442071129280
