Cyber security is a phrase we often hear in relation to businesses that operate online and the people who buy their products and services. It explains how organisations and individuals reduce the risk of cyber attack, and with cyber crime on the rise, it’s a really important element of the digital age that we simply cannot ignore. So ask yourself, do you have the right cyber security services in place to protect your data? If the answer is no, or you are not sure, please read on to find out what threats you might be vulnerable to and how Matrix IT can help.
Common Cyber Security Threats
As technology evolves and becomes more complex, so too do the risks. Cyber security threats have been present for decades, but with connections becoming increasingly wireless and cloud solutions replacing in-house storage, your defenses need to be more sophisticated than ever before.
Some of the most common cyber security threats you might have encountered or heard about include:
- Malware – software that corrupts data or takes over a system.
- Ransomware – an attack that encrypts data and then demands the user pay a ransom to access that data again.
- Phishing – an email attack where the email appears normal to the recipient and tricks them into disclosing confidential information or clicking on a hyperlink in the email which then downloads malware.
- Data breaches – theft of data.
- Trojans – a type of malware that enters a system looking like something genuine, but then once in lets out malicious code.
- Spear phishing – a more sophisticated form of phishing where the attacker impersonates someone the recipient knows and tricks them into divulging confidential information.
How Covid-19 Has Exposed The Cracks In Cyber Defences
The Covid-19 pandemic has forced many businesses in the UK to work from home, firstly in response to the national lockdown and thereafter to protect the workforce and minimise the spread of the virus. This sudden switch to home working resulted in a huge increase in newly remote workers and overworked IT and security teams, leaving holes in cyber security that attackers could easily take advantage of.
When the UK was forced into lockdown, little attention was paid to IT and cloud security, and figures suggest that almost half of organisations did not have adequate cyber security provision to maintain a home working model.
It is not necessarily that Covid-19 caused a new type of security threat, but more so that it exacerbated the vulnerabilities that were already there, particularly those relating to remote access, VPNs and endpoint security. With remote workers also using their own mobile devices to participate in virtual discussions and collaborate with colleagues on projects, the risks continue to mount as attackers can use these personal devices to launch an attack on the organisation.
Cyber Security Services In Hampshire
If you are worried about securing your data and making sure your organisation is safe when operating with a remote workforce, Matrix IT are here to help. With a wide range of cyber security services on offer including secure cloud solutions, spear phishing protection, firewalls and multi factor authentication, we can help protect your organisation and confidential data.
We offer our cyber security services across Hampshire, helping businesses of varying sizes to feel confident about operating digitally and remotely, so click here to contact us and we’ll help put your mind at ease.
