Tag: cybersecurity

Safeguarding your growing business: The crucial role of cybersecurity and outsourced IT support

Posted on by Loredana Emmerson

In today’s digital landscape, where technology plays a pivotal role in every aspect of business operations, ensuring the security of your organisation’s data and systems is of paramount importance. As your business grows and expands, so does the risk of cyber threats and vulnerabilities. This is where a robust cybersecurity strategy and outsourced IT support come into play, offering comprehensive protection and expert guidance. In this article, we will delve into the significance of cybersecurity for a growing business and how outsourcing IT support can be a game-changer in safeguarding your valuable assets.

The Expanding Cyber Threat Landscape

With each passing day, cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated and pervasive. Hackers, malicious actors, and cybercriminals are constantly evolving their tactics to exploit vulnerabilities in digital systems. Small to medium-sized businesses, in particular, have become prime targets due to their limited resources and often inadequate cybersecurity measures. According to recent reports, more than 43% of cyberattacks are aimed at small businesses.

The Importance of Cybersecurity for Growing Businesses

1. Protecting Sensitive Data: Growing businesses accumulate a vast amount of sensitive data, including customer information, proprietary research, and financial records. A single data breach can result in severe reputational damage, financial losses, and even legal consequences. Implementing robust cybersecurity measures helps protect this critical data from unauthorised access, ensuring the trust of your customers and business partners.

2. Maintaining Business Continuity: Downtime caused by a cyber incident can be devastating for any growing business. Cyberattacks can disrupt operations, paralyse networks, and lead to significant revenue losses. A well-designed cybersecurity strategy, coupled with outsourced IT support, helps minimise the risk of such disruptions and ensures smooth business continuity.

3. Complying with Regulations: With the introduction of data protection regulations, businesses are now legally bound to protect customer data. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in hefty fines and legal penalties. Outsourced IT support can help ensure your business meets the necessary compliance requirements and avoids potential legal pitfalls.

The Role of Outsourced IT Support

Expertise and Experience: Cybersecurity is a complex field that demands specialised knowledge and continuous learning. Outsourced IT support brings a team of skilled professionals who possess the expertise and experience required to safeguard your business against evolving cyber threats. These experts stay updated with the latest trends, tools, and techniques, providing you with a competitive advantage in the realm of cybersecurity.

Cost-Effective Solutions: Building an in-house IT team solely dedicated to cybersecurity can be expensive for growing businesses. Outsourcing IT support allows you to access a range of services tailored to your needs without the significant overhead costs. Whether it’s 24/7 monitoring, vulnerability assessments, or incident response, outsourced IT support offers flexible and cost-effective solutions.

Scalability and Adaptability: As your business grows, so do your IT needs. Outsourced IT support offers scalability, allowing you to easily adjust services based on your requirements. Whether you’re expanding your workforce, opening new branches, or integrating new technologies, a reliable IT partner ensures that your cybersecurity framework remains robust and adaptive.

In an era dominated by digital connectivity and persistent cyber threats, prioritising cybersecurity is no longer optional for growing businesses. By investing in a robust cybersecurity strategy and leveraging the expertise of outsourced IT support, you can safeguard your valuable assets, protect sensitive data, and ensure uninterrupted business operations.

At Codus IT, our team of IT professionals understands the unique challenges faced by growing businesses and is dedicated to providing tailored cybersecurity solutions. Don’t leave your business vulnerable to cyber risks. Take the proactive step of speaking to our expert team at Codus IT today. Let us help you fortify your defenses and navigate the complex world of cybersecurity, so you can focus on growing your business with confidence. Contact us now and let’s start securing your digital future together.

The National Cyber Security Centre latest Threat Report

Posted on by Loredana Emmerson

The National Cyber Security Centre has recently published their latest Threat Report. In this blog we have summarised some of the key information and urge you to speak with us about your cyber security to protect your business and your customers.

A key takeaway from the report is to be careful what you’re sharing online because cybercriminals often conduct research on individuals through social media platforms and other public information sources in an attempt to gain access to their network.

Patches released for Apple and Google Chrome vulnerabilities

Users should be aware that Google and Apple have released security updates to fix vulnerabilities affecting their respective products.
Apple’s two vulnerabilities include a remote code execution vulnerability (CVE-2022-32893) in its WebKit software, as well as a kernel vulnerability (CVE-2022-32894).

Google has released a standard update for its Chrome browser with eleven updates, but which includes a fix for the vulnerability CVE-2022-2856 which exists in the wild. The NCSC recommends following vendor best practice advice in the mitigation of vulnerabilities.

Microsoft report on a sustained phishing campaign by the SEABORGIUM threat actor

The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center has published a new information on the sustained campaign of phishing and credential theft by the threat actor SEABORGIUM – you can read it here.

Cyber criminals often conduct research on individuals in an organisation to attempt to gain access and is known to identify legitimate contacts in the target organisation’s corporate network. The opening exchange with the target is often a benign email referencing an attachment that doesn’t exist. Once a target opens the email, they are directed to an actor-controlled server hosting a phishing framework. The final page is a prompt for authentication, mirroring the sign-in page for a legitimate provider and intercepting any credentials.

Warning as cyber criminals use HMRC branding in phishing scams

Cyber criminals continue to impersonate HMRC branding to trick the public into sharing personal or financial details.
Recipients of this phishing attempt are encouraged to ‘submit their tax refund request’ via a link, which would send them to a fraudulent website designed to harvest their personal details.

A cyber criminal’s main goal is to trick you into giving them your sensitive information, which could include bank details, often claiming to be from UK government or other official organisations.

As of July 2022, the NCSC has received over 13million reported scams, which has resulted in 91,000 scams being removed across 167,000 urls. You can reduce the likelihood of being phished by thinking about what personal information you (and others) post about you, and by reviewing your privacy settings within your social media accounts.

Speak to our team to see how we can help educate your team towards safer online activity.