5 biggest Cyber Security threats (and how Integrate can help you avoid them)

Keeping your cyber security up to date is more important for businesses than ever. With companies increasingly under threat, it’s vital to have up to date procedures in place and full compliance across the business to help keep your data and your clients’ data protected.

There are important standards that your company needs to adhere to, such as ISO 27001 which helps organisations manage your security practices. There are several ways to ensure you adhere to the best standards, but the best way is to let the experts protect your company for you.

Zeus can help you by providing expert security services from our experienced team who understand the biggest threats and the best ways to overcome them.

With that in mind, here are the five biggest threats to organisations that you need to ensure your business is protected against.

Phishing attacks

Attempts by cybercriminals to gain sensitive information from an individual by posing as a reliable contact from an organisation are known as Phishing.

Companies need to look out for two things related to this: individuals trying to get information out of your employees by pretending to be another supplier, colleague or client; and those pretending to represent your company to gain access to your clients.

For the first, security protocols can be put in place within your organisation, such as anti-malware software, spam filters, automated flagging of emails from outside the company and enforced security measures around what your workers are able to share.

Additional training by making sure workers treat all unexpected emails with suspicion can be a great benefit.

For the second, keeping client or customer contact information secure is vital. And letting your customers know how to recognise a real communication from you can help keep them at ease.

Ransomware

This form of malicious software attempts to encrypt your data and charge you a ransom to unlock it again. It’s often installed through delivery of a malicious email, so once again it’s important to have anti-malware software and staff awareness of the dangers of unsolicited emails.

Make sure your applications are all up to date so that they can fight against the newest forms of malware.

And set up regular data backups in case the worst happens and you need to recover your files.

Hacking

Hackers don’t just go after finance details and credit cards – there’s plenty to gain from accessing intellectual property from within businesses – particularly those that hold sensitive information like law firms, insurance companies and medical businesses.

Getting past security protocols can be as complicated as getting through network firewalls or as simple as guessing a simple password. So businesses need to be exhaustive in ensuring there is as little route to access as possible.

That means up to date and comprehensive network firewalls, data access security, procedures for providing and removing access and – once again – user awareness training to ensure all staff are keeping information secure and behind safe, unguessable passwords.

Data leakage

With people working more remotely comes an increased danger from the myriad devices used to access company data away from the office. Laptops, tablets and phones can allow easy access to the most sensitive data – great for working away from the office, but potentially dangerous.

Ensuring you know all the devices your staff are accessing data from is beneficial, and ensuring that they all have passcode locks and can be tracked by the company in the event that they are lost or stolen and need to be wiped.

Encryption software is encouraged across all devices to ensure that even if someone outside the organisation does get their hands on a phone or laptop, they can’t use the information it contains. Two-factor authentication for remote access can also help ensure that the information can only be accessed by the person it’s intended for.

Insider threat

It is a sad fact that data is sometimes leaked – either mistakenly or maliciously – by an organisation’s staff. As much as you want to trust your staff, there are steps you should take out of precaution.

This includes setting up access levels within your IT systems so that staff are only able to access information that directly relates to their role and not the full suite of information held by the company.

Keeping track of who has access to portable devices including laptops, hard drives and memory sticks can help you monitor who might be responsible for a leak. Staff training, once again, is important for minimizing the risk of accidental data sharing.

These are the five biggest cyber security threats that organisations are facing in 2021. Some of these threats are things that can be addressed within your business, but others are best left to those with specialist knowledge and access to the best information security software.

Zeus technology solutions can set up security protocols within your business that will protect you against much of the biggest threats. Our services include on-site gap analysis – where we go through your systems with a fine toothed comb to find the biggest problems and most likely ways that your security could be breached.

We can then work with you to recommend and install fixes for your problems.

Our team don’t provide a blanket service that installs the same software for every company – we look at your company and the threats that are most relevant to you. Our service is bespoke, and that means you can be assured that your business is fully protected.

We can provide our information security shield service on an on-going basis so that you remain fully up to date with the latest infosec procedures, keeping you compliant and protected as your business grows.

Find out more about how Zeus Technology Solutions can protect your business and keep your systems secure by reading about our range of services on our information security and data protection service page, or get in touch with our expert team today by calling 0333 358 0498.