Did you know that in the last 12months alone 39% of UK businesses have identified an attempt to hack into their systems? And that organisations, specifically in the east, reported losses of more than £316.5K from successful cyberattacks.
The most common types of cybercrimes include:
1st Hacking social media/emails
2nd Computer viruses / malware / spyware
3rd Hacking your server
4th Hacking extortion
5th Hacking PBX (private branch exchange)/ dial through – this is where cybercriminals will look for vulnerabilities in telephone systems and once unauthorised access is gained, they can place calls to premium and overseas phone numbers, with all charges to be paid for by your business.
And the most affected types of businesses are:
1. Limited
2. Sole traders
3. Other
4. Charities
Cybercrime is becoming an ever-growing threat with a 35% increase in the region and yet many businesses see this as being a complicated or an expensive risk to manage, it’s only going to get worse.
Phrases such as ‘cyber-attack’, ‘phishing scams’, ‘security breach’ and ‘ransomware’, may seem alien and not relevant to your business, yet we are all vulnerable to these violations. Increasing our knowledge and understanding in the first instance is paramount to being able to understand what we need to do to protect our businesses.
And this is where the Eastern Cyber Resilience Centre (ECRC) comes in. The centre has been set up to help organisations and charities across the region to assist them through the benefits of cyber security.
It offers core membership which is completely free of charge and includes a welcome pack with resources and tools that walk members through some really practical cyber security basics:
What a good password looks like
Things to consider when backing up your data
How to keep your mobile devices safe
Signs of a suspicious email
There are also periodic webinars to guide business owners and leaders through a hot topic agenda. In short, core membership adds value to businesses, not costs.
The centre’s director Paul Lopez says where detailed or bespoke advice is needed, the ECRC can help provide access to it inexpensively and from sources know you can trust.
He added: “Cyber security often feels technical, complicated and overwhelming to many so is often pushed to the bottom of the to-do list or ignored entirely with the mindset that it only happens to other people. This is not the case! If we can provide you with help and guidance for free, becoming a member feels like a bit of a no-brainer to me.”
Sign up to core membership and help your business become safer and to stay that way. There’s nothing to lose if you do.
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