Don ’ t leave yourself wide open to cyber-attack
Chris Petty , managing director of Cornerstone Business Solutions , issues advice for organisations to help protect their IT security following the global cyber-attacks that recently paralysed NHS systems
Everyone thinks ‘ It won ’ t happen to me ’ but it ’ s very possible that hundreds , maybe even thousands , of North-East firms – especially SMEs - are leaving themselves wide open to cyber-attack .
I know of several Teesside organisations that have been the subject of the ransomware that so badly disrupted the NHS .
Of course , the most sensible rule to follow is to avoid opening emails if you are in any way suspicious of their contents or the sender . Simply delete it completely .
Here ’ s some more important considerations to help protect your IT security :
Backups Backing up your data on a daily basis is the most important action . This will mean that even the worst case scenario means losing only a day ’ s data . Businesses that do carry out daily backups should also check that the backup is working as it should , paying particular attention to any notifications they receive . An offsite backup solution is safest .
Antivirus All businesses and individuals should ensure that their antivirus is up-to-date and enabled . Antivirus should be installed on every server , PC , laptop and tablet within a network . If you have machines that have not been used for a while , check to make sure they have the required protection before connecting them to your networks . Don ’ t rely on free antivirus protection . This may provide some protection but it is not enough . It ’ s the equivalent of having a house alarm that only protects your back door .
Chris Petty ( centre ) with his fellow Cornerstone directors John Storey ( left ) and Chris Clark .
Malware Protection Malware is software specifically designed to disrupt , damage or gain access to a computer system .
Some antivirus products claim to offer malware protection as well as antivirus protection . There is no product on the market that can rightly claim this , so a product specifically designed to protect against malware is recommended , in addition to a recognised and up-to-date antivirus product .
Security Policy All staff should reset their passwords immediately and ensure that the new password includes : i ) At least eight characters , ii ) At least one uppercase , iii ) One number and one special character .
Windows Updates Ensure your machines are fully up-to-date with Windows Updates . If you haven ’ t checked or updated your machine for a while then do it now . Windows XP and Windows 2003 Server are no longer supported by Microsoft and are therefore vulnerable . Disconnect Windows XP PCs or laptops from your network .
Get in touch to find out more on advicecorner @ cornerstonebs . co . uk or call 0845 223 2400 .
Common Sense Don ’ t open any emails that you are suspicious of . If you don ’ t recognise the sender then delete these emails immediately by pressing and holding the “ shift ” key and pressing delete . This will permanently delete the email instead of sending it to your deleted items . NEVER click on any hyperlinks in emails unless you are 100 % sure of their source .
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