Cyber Security Awareness month: five tips to keep your business safe

Cyber Security – quite rightly – continues to be a major concern for large businesses.

Although down from the 2022 figure, according to the Government Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2022, the percentage of UK businesses identifying a cyber attack remained steady year-on-year at 39%. That’s a significant minority, and of course that’s only the figures that have been reported.

Just as alarming as the proportion of businesses that were attacked is the fact that many of these businesses were subject to multiple attacks, and 35% reported at least one negative impact.

Other reports suggest that the number of UK businesses experiencing a successful attack in 2021/2022 is actually around the 80% mark.

Whatever the actual numbers, it’s clear that the cyber security threat is big business. But there are ways that businesses can mitigate against the threats, and while we’re sure that you’re already aware of all of these points, this Cyber Security Awareness month we felt a little reminder of some of the ways you can keep your business secure wouldn’t be out of place.

1) Train your people

It remains true that when it comes to cyber security, one of the most vulnerable parts of any business is its people.

That’s not to say that your staff are deliberately behaving in an unsafe manner, and it certainly isn’t to suggest that there is any malicious intent (though that isn’t inconceivable), but rather that awareness of security protocols and vigilance can sometimes be lacking.

Training staff might involve official, classroom-based learning. Or it may simply involve raising awareness of the kinds of threat that your people are likely to encounter.

Some of the things you might want to remind your staff about include creating and storing passwords, sharing (or not sharing) personal information and identifying phishing emails.

2) Identify the threats

Did you know that it takes an average of 287 days to identify a data breach?

That is a staggering figure, especially when you consider the amount of damage that could be wrought in that time.

One of the best ways to safeguard your business against cyber threats, then, would appear to be better detection. Of course, robust, 24/7 threat detection can be complex and resource intensive. If your business has a large and highly skilled security team it may be manageable in-house, but even then it would require a large chunk of your people’s time and effort – time and effort that may be better utilised elsewhere.

Considering expert support like Zen’s new MDR service may well prove beneficial.

3) Test your security

The reality is, however vigilant you may be, however well-trained your people are, it is highly improbable that you’ll simply identify and bat away every single threat.

Mitigating against potential threat is highly effective, but your business should also be as secure as possible against the threats themselves.

An excellent way to test and improve your security posture is through penetration testing. Identifying areas of risk and weakness across your organisation can be an excellent way of shoring up your cyber resilience.

4) ‘You shall not pass’

One of the oldest tricks in the book when it comes to cyber resilience is the firewall. With the right equipment, access rules and intelligence, it’s a great way to keep threats outside of your network.

A managed firewall service can make things a whole lot easier and more effective, with industry-leading software and hardware support, flexible deployment, 24/7 monitoring, real-time threat alerting, regular reporting, ongoing maintenance and more.

5) Partner with an expert

There’s a lot you can do yourself, through training and vigilance, to help mitigate against security threats.

But cyber security is an ever evolving and ongoing threat. Entrusting your security to a team of experts can ensure the best tools and the best talent are at your disposal 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

For more on security services from Zen, visit our site.