Protecting Your Company From Cyber-Attacks

“Only amateurs attack machines; professionals target people.” - Cyber expert Bruce Schneier

As any company knows, a robust cyber security protocol is imperative in order to safeguard your network from the big bad wolves of the internet. Attackers are one of the greatest dangers to your company’s most sensitive data, particularly your financial information. Once an external attack has access to this information, the consequences can be extremely costly – and may even destroy a business.

A Cyber-Attack: How Does It Happen?

There are many ways in which a company can be vulnerable to cyber-attacks. The most common cyber security incidents involve ransomware attacks or hackers breaking into password systems.  

Phishing emails and malware are typical methods of cyber-attack. Phishing involves sending a victim deceptive emails or links to websites. This is not as easy to spot as it sounds; the message will appear to come from a trusted source, such as a ‘real’ company or individual. The message will then either trick the victim into either downloading malware or revealing important data (such as a username and password). 

As sophisticated as these cyber-attacks may seem, their success is determined by the individual’s ability to distinguish between what is harmful and what is not.

Cyber Risk and Human Error

According to the Cyber Risk Culture Survey released by Willis-Towers-Watson, human error accounts for around 90% of all cyber security breaches.

Unfortunately, this isn’t as easy to avoid as it sounds. Cyber criminals are not just cunning, they are very clever; they know too well how to seek out weaknesses in your employees’ knowledge. 

While these breaches are most often the result of innocent errors rather than the abuse of privileges, the results are still dire. In order to keep your company’s sensitive data out of the wrong hands, a comprehensive cyber security plan is crucial. 

How To Reduce Your Risk of Cyber-Attack 

Firewalls and network protocols aren’t enough to protect your data. No matter how tight your digital barriers, your internal network is ever vulnerable to your own workers. Your company must take action to provide the right training to your employees in order to mitigate attacks caused by human error. 

One of the first steps to take is thoroughly vetting employees before you hire them. This reduces the risk of data loss due to malicious intent. 

The next step is to create efficient training protocols that will help employees understand any risks they may face and responsibilities they have in protecting data. Of course, not every company has the time and resources required for this kind of intervention. That’s where outsourcing your cyber security needs to a company such as Think Concepts may be helpful.

Cyber Security With Think Concepts

Think Concepts provide a wide range of cyber security services for businesses. Our basic level of protection begins with software products such as ThinkProtect.

ThinkProtect is a cloud-hosted antivirus management server enforced with software updates and security policies. Dark Web ID adds another level of protection by monitoring any online threats to your company’s data. 

Think Concepts also provide Cyber Security Training for staff through interactive learning sessions. These sessions are designed to help employees to understand and recognise common cyber-attacks, how to deal with threats, and what to avoid. 

If you’re serious about protecting your company from cyber-attacks, call Think Concepts today. After all, cyber threats are only getting smarter!