Updates can help protect your business from cyber attack

Updates can help protect your business from cyber attack

Earlier this summer, Eurofins, the UK’s biggest forensic services provider fell victim to a cyber-attack, which had a significant impact on their operations. It provided a stark reminder that regardless of size or sector, no business is immune to the threat of cyber-attack.

An important step in protecting your business is ensuring that software, security and firewall updates are deployed as NCC Group’s senior adviser Tim Rawlins explains:

“Without updating software, security and firewall solutions, companies can leave themselves open to old and new threats. This is particularly relevant as smaller SMEs rarely have time and money to spend on more sophisticated security monitoring; so getting the cyber security basics right is absolutely essential. SMEs that are adopting emerging technologies to transform their business processes and grow in size, need to make the investment to ensure their businesses remain secure, since new tech can be linked to new vulnerabilities.

“Hardware and software providers are constantly striving to detect and patch new vulnerabilities with updates; but businesses can only benefit from this if they keep their software and systems up-to-date.”

“It’s important that SMEs – and in fact, businesses of any size – don’t think of any aspect of their security process in isolation. Companies should look at every area of their security from the point of view of an attacker and ensure that all bases are covered. People, processes and technology is the simple way to think about security. Educating all levels of staff from the shop floor to the boardroom on cyber security hygiene, having processes for updating systems and having physical as well as digital defences in place will all contribute to effective cyber resilience, allowing SMEs to thrive.” 

Have you completed your free FSB Cyber Health Check? FSB Essential members have right of membership access to the Cyber Advice Line and they offer a free Cyber Health Check. Call 0345 072 7727 to get your free FSB Cyber Health Check.