Research shows that only a third of our businesses have a formal strategy in place to protect them from cyber-attacks. So why are the rest of them so sure that they won’t be targeted, or do they simply need educating on the risks of cyber-crime in the 21st century?
What the Survey Says
The 2016 report released by the Institute of Directors and Barclays shows that, in the addition to the above revelation, 95% of the 845 members of the Institute considers the threat of hacking to be very important to their business. Meanwhile, 40% of businesses seemed unclear about how to report such crimes to authorities. This lack of certainty shows that executives must assert the importance of preventing malicious attacks on their businesses and ensure that suitable defence methods are put in place.
Cyber-Crime: Who Does It Affect?
Unfortunately, cyber-attacks can target anyone at any time, so the better prepared a business is for such crimes, the better the outcome will be for them. Many businesses are reliant on anti-virus software that is old or out of date to protect their laptops and PCs. However, in this modern technological era, hackers can often bypass these ineffective systems, so investing in advanced security measures is highly recommended for any type of business. Regular assessments of your disaster recovery plan are essential, yet a recovery plan alone won’t prevent you from being hacked in the first place.
How to Protect Your Business?
Businesses are of the belief that setting up a cyber-attack strategy is time-consuming, expensive and draining of their workers’ time. However, if they are not appropriately prepared for breaches, they could wind up losing even more money, time and business. A cyber-attack could lead to a loss of vital data and the exposure of sensitive client information. And businesses risk having their reputation and professional relationships compromised by the hacker. Businesses that are serious about protecting their systems from security threats should contact a company such as Promisec and enquire about their Endpoint Security Management systems (https://www.promisec.com/).
Unfortunately, businesses continue to underestimate the risks of cyber-attacks. Cyberspace is a somewhat easy environment for hackers to access or to bring down corporations, so all businesses, regardless of their size or profitability, should be prepared for the worst-case scenario.