Cyber security – are you protected?

New research published by Deloitte has found that 88% of businesses believe they are not vulnerable to external cyber threats, indicating that many are confident their systems would stand up to an attack.

However a the same time, their survey also revealed that 59% have experienced a security incident in the last year.

Response plan

More than two-thirds of the businesses questioned said that they understood risks surrounding threats, but only half revealed that they have a documented plan in place. The survey also suggests that firms expect an attack to occur and think that it is just a matter of time before it does so.

Getting technology professionals to produce a response plan will limit the damage, while ensuring that mission-critical documents are secure.

Sophisticated cyber attacks

James Alexander, lead partner for TMT security at Deloitte, said: “Cyber attacks are now so sophisticated and commonplace that it is impossible to be fully protected. Companies need to act as if a breach is inevitable and have a documented response plan in place so they can react when it does happen. Unfortunately not enough companies are doing this, so we think companies are being overconfident in their resilience. ”

Furthermore, he added that firms must “embed a culture of cyber security in their staff” to ensure that everyone working knows the potential damage that can be done.  While the more serious threats can come from outside the firm, in-house staff members can also pose a risk.

What can you do?

There are many steps you can take – here are some of the basics:

• Invest in computer security: protect all passwords and keep all software up to date
• Make sure staff only have access to information related to their job function
• Have a privacy policy and train your staff, so they know why it’s important and how to identify a potential breach
• Make sure wireless routers are secure
• Change passwords regularly