Securing your SME

£30 billion.

What does this represent?

The recently reported turnover of a thriving SME industry? The billions spent improving communities across the UK? The money about to be invested in our NHS?

Wrong.

£30 billion is in fact the amount that UK businesses are losing every single year as a direct result of cybercrime. And that figure is rising. Invoice fraud alone, whereby cyber criminals send hoax invoices or pose as familiar suppliers and request a change to payee details, cost UK SMEs more than £9bn a year.

Cybercrime is quickly becoming the UK’s most common offence, and last year over half of all crimes committed were cyber related. Therefore, it’s more important than ever to ensure your company is protecting your most valuable asset – your data.

SMEs make up a huge portion of businesses in the UK, and are at greater risk of a cyber-attack than large, multinational organisations. Failing to address cyber threats, particularly ahead of GDPR, make them an easy target for hackers.

Cyber-attacks can take on many different forms, from Phishing (when an attacker disguises themselves as a reputable or familiar person and tries to obtain sensitive information from a victim) to Malware (intrusive programs or files that are able to self-execute, infecting victim’s software, including viruses and spyware.)

There’s many ways to mitigate the possibility of an attack, including;

1. Backing up data – Identify all essential data and ensure it is appropriately and regularly backed up, preferably remotely in the cloud.
2. Implement effective controls – Install antivirus software and firewalls to protect your systems, and control administrative access to your systems.
3. Secure wireless networks – Ensure all devices connected to your network are password protected, enable network encryption and turn off any remote management features.
4. Train staff – Ensure your employees are aware of how to recognise potential cyber scams, and are encouraged to report any suspicious cyber activity.

Businesses rely on technology more than ever, and as a result, hackers have adopted more sophisticated methods of criminality, cybercrimes have evolved quicker than any other type of crime in recent years.

Here at Infuse Technology, we’ve been supporting Midlands based businesses for over 15 years, providing expert IT and Security advice, support and consultancy.

Get in touch with one of our experts to make sure your SME is secure today.