According to The Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report 2019, almost 55% of UK firms have reported a cyber-attack in 2019 – up 40% compared to last year.

With more than half of UK firms reporting a cyber-attack, and most businesses admitting that they were unprepared for breaches, it’s important to ask the question: are you doing enough to prevent a cyber-attack?

Prevention is Better Than Cure

Every day, cyber thieves and hackers are using sophisticated tricks and techniques to target and illegally access businesses’ confidential data. These include phishing and social engineering. Cyber thieves are usually after sensitive and confidential information that they can use illegally or sell on the Dark Web.

Cyber-attacks can have huge consequences for businesses that rely on their reputation for handling sensitive data or that use computer-based networks to share information between departments and offices. With sensitive data and customers’ trust at stake, businesses cannot underestimate the impact of a data theft or cut corners when it comes to securing your systems or training your staff.

According to the Hiscox survey, average losses from breaches have soared to £286,000, which can prove costly for businesses of any size, in terms of both loss of revenue and reputation.

Remember, prevention is always better than the cure. The best way to tackle cyber security is to invest time and money in securing your systems and ensuring that your employees are aware of the threat posed by cyber-attacks. In the long run, it will prove more cost effective than loss of data or a fine from a regulatory body.

Keep Your Systems Up-to-Date

Hackers are known to target organisations using outdated computers and systems that haven’t had the essential security updates or patches installed in a long time. With lack of security, hackers can easily gain access to your business network and computers. They may also resort to blackmail in order to hand-back control of systems and databases using a type of malware called ransomware.

Keeping your systems up to date is one of your most effective weapons against cyber-attacks. Make sure you have invested in a reliable IT team who will ensure that you have installed the latest anti-virus software and app updates which can protect your devices and networks from viruses and hackers.

Awareness is Key

Many businesses have reported suffering a cyber-breach because their employees inadvertently created an entry-point to the systems that hackers could take advantage of. Employees are also most likely to fall victim to phishing scams at work, putting your business information at risk. It all comes down to lack of awareness training which can put your employees at risk of making errors in judgement, resulting in data security breaches, company down-time, or financial loss.

That’s why cyber security awareness training is so important. Awareness training is key to ensuring that your employees can spot the signs of an intended cyber-attack and understand the implications. Realising the value of sensitive information if breached will also help employees to act with caution and make the right decisions to keep your business information safe and protected.

By training your employees on the risks they face, how to avoid them, and reporting suspicious activity, employers can protect both their staff and their businesses from cyber threats.

Cyber Security Training from DeltaNet International

Find out how DeltaNet International can support your business with a wide range of eLearning solutions dedicated to cyber security and information security. Our eLearning can be delivered as off-the-shelf packages, or we can customise the content to suit your organisation. Visit our website for more information.

Read The Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report 2019 in full. The firm surveyed more than 5,400 small, medium and large businesses across seven countries, including the UK, Germany, the US, Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Spain.