Breathe Technology writes: We recently assisted a Cambridgeshire-based organisation that was the victim of a cyber attack. The systems were offline down for nearly a week and took almost a month to fully recover. They had security systems and backups in place. Or so they believed. They did…kinda…
We would like to tell you a bit more about the situation and how it could have been prevented, and then we also have some free of charge guides and other discounts for you.
These days, nearly every small to medium business owner or manager we talk to understands that UK businesses are prime targets for cyber attacks. We see it in the news almost weekly.
It’s not just about getting your customer contact information, but it’s almost always based on financial gain through phishing attacks, ransom, or to cause disruption. The state of world politics is not helping the situation, and we unintentionally become targets. It’s the world we live in today.
I think it’s fair to say that many businesses will agree that the current operating climate isn’t ideal and things could be easier. We don’t need additional complications, such as cyberattacks.
This isn't about fearmongering – it’s about recognising the risks and taking steps to protect against them, rather than trying to fix a situation when it affected you.
When dealing with a breach, and we have seen quite a few firsthand, it's incredibly stressful, time-consuming, and costly, and it stops you from doing your day job and for the business to deliver its core functions.
However, there are things you can do to avoid this.
Probably the biggest issue that we see is that small to medium business owners or managers, especially when the IT is outsourced, blindly believe that their support company has got it in hand.
The reality is that the ultimate responsibility will always come back to you.
The customer we mentioned earlier would have really benefited by having the following in place:
- Penetration Test, Simulated Phishing Attack, and Cyber Security Audit to remove vulnerabilities before they were compromised.
- A Cyber Security Plan or framework like the CIS Critical Security Controls from IT, but approved by the Business Management Team or Owner. CIS Critical Security Controls (cisecurity.org)
- Backup, Business Continuity, and Disaster Recovery Plan based on the latest government guidelines, created by IT and approved by the Business Management Team or Owner.
This is not an IT decision only. The Business Management Team or Owner needs to understand under which scenarios you can recover. How long will it take, etc.? The IT Team and you need to be on the same page regarding what Backup, DR and Business Continuity Cover is in place. - Monthly or Quarterly Cyber Security Review Meeting with a Management Report.
- A Gap Analysis against the latest NCSC (National Cyber Security Centre .GOV) Guidelines, advising businesses on best practices for Cyber Security, Backup, and Business Continuity.
- An Incident Response Plan – Avoids further damage, reduces panic and stress in the event of an attack or breach.
If you aren’t 100% sure and 100% happy? We’d like to help?
Breathe work with businesses that outsource their IT and alongside internal IT teams:
- Cyber Security and Backup Audits
- Penetration Tests and Simulated Phishing Attacks
- Managed Cyber Security Services
- Supply and Installation of Cyber Security systems like the latest Firewalls, Web Filters, End Point Security, Email Security, Office 365 Security
- Supply and Installation of Cloud and On-Prem Backup, DR and Business Continuity Solutions. Including Offsite backup in our Secure Private Cloud.
We also have 2 exciting offers for you as a VIP Customer.
These offers are extended to businesses that our team has identified as an ideal partner for Breathe.
- 150% VIP customer discount on IT and Cyber Security Audits.
- First 3 months half price on Managed IT Support and Managed Cyber Security Services.
If we can help with your Cyber Security or possibly IT Support, please reach out:
Camb: 01223 209920, London: 0203519012
Suffolk: 01440592163, Sheffield: 0114 349 8054
Visit www.breathetechnology.com or email lucy@breathetechnology.com
