Staying safe from cyber-threats
Tools & Resources
Key Learnings
- Cyber-threats are becoming increasingly common, so it’s important businesses act now to protect themselves.
- Businesses should practice good cyber hygiene and take simple, practical steps to reduce their vulnerability to a cyber-threat.
- Every person in an organisation plays a vital role in maintaining cyber security.
In today’s interconnected world, cyber threats have become a real concern for everyone. Understanding how to stay safe from these threats is essential to protect your personal information and online activities. To help you better understand cyber security and safeguard your organisation from cyber threats, we’ve worked with the North East Cyber Protect Network (NECPN) and Police Cyber Alarm to gather some useful tips and best practice to share.
In 2023 there was approximately 2.4 million instances of cybercrime with UK businesses losing more than £4million as a direct result. Even more alarming is the level of frequency these threats occur with 31% of businesses and 26% of charities estimating they’re attacked at least once a week.
With cybercrime steadily on the rise, a heightened awareness of the level of protection the UK business community requires is critical and the need for more advanced cyber security measures, no matter what size you operate at, is vital.
Types of cyber threat
Cyber security can be difficult to navigate initially, but it’s important to ensure your business/organisation has the basics in place and keeps cyber security at the top of your agenda.
This can be done in various ways through education and awareness for all members of staff throughout your business/organisation. Click on the headings below to find out about the different types of threats businesses should look out for.
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Scam emails and text messages
Scam emails (aka phishing emails) are one of the biggest threats we face both inside and outside of the workplace. Some of these emails may be easy to spot however there are others which can look quite sophisticated – these days, spotting phishing emails and messages is becoming increasingly difficult.
We understand that most businesses have their own processes and procedures when it comes to reporting scam emails so the information below is more suited to assist you outside of the workplace. IT teams or similar may use the below resources in addition to their own protocols.
If you are suspicious of a message you have received via email or text, there are steps you can take:
- Don’t use the links or contact details in the message you have received.
- Go back to something you can trust (e.g. the phone number on the back of your bank card).
- Check with the official source if in doubt by visiting their website directly (not via the email) or phoning them directly on their official number.
Often the sender will pressurise you into using a link with some hint at urgency and there may even be an attempt to dissuade you from using official contact details to verify the contents of the message.
Suspicious emails can be reported by forwarding it to [email protected] and texts can be reported by forwarding it to 7726.
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Ransomware attacks
Ransomware attacks is when a malicious software locks your important files and demand payments for their release. These types of attacks can be detrimental to a business so it’s important to understand what recovery would look like in these instances and how your business would be able to operate should it experience a ransomware attack.
This can often be coupled with social engineering which works by building false trust, exploiting human error, and using persuasion to gain access to sensitive or confidential information and is proving to be another major threat to companies.
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Data breaches
Data breaches occur when sensitive or confidential information is accessed or exposed without authorisation. These breaches can happen due to various reasons, including inadequate security measures, vulnerabilities in systems, or insider threats.
Cyber hygiene- how to stay safe
Companies are becoming more and more vulnerable to cyberattacks due to organisations being unprepared and without the necessary online security that is required to keep their data protected.
It’s important to practice good cyber hygiene on your personal devices and it’s always good to check you have the basics in place. Listed below are some important top tips to help you get started:
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1. Create a separate password for your email
Your personal email is the gateway to your other online accounts, so keeping it secure is paramount. If your email is compromised, not only will cyber criminals have access to important information about you, but all of your other passwords can be reset.
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2. Save your passwords in your browser
Using the same password for all your accounts makes you vulnerable – if that one password is stolen, your other accounts could be accessed.
It’s good practice to use different passwords for the accounts you care most about, but remembering lots of passwords can be difficult. Saving your password to your browser is quick, convenient and safer than re-using the same password.
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3. Create a strong password using ThreeRandomWords
Weak passwords can be compromised in seconds. These are usually short, have little complexity and are easily guessable.
It’s possible to make passwords more difficult to guess by using a sequence of three random words, and symbols, you’ll remember e.g. Water!PhilosophyZebra$
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4. Turn on two-step verification (2SV)
This is a free security feature that asks you to provide a second piece of information to check you are who you say you are, such as a unique code received via text message or email during the login process.
This extra layer of protection helps prevent cyber criminals access your accounts – even if they have your password.
Sometimes this may also be called 2 Factor Authentication (2FA) or Multi Factor Authentication (MFA).
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5. Update your devices
Cyber criminals exploit weaknesses in software and apps to access personal information. Providers continually work to fix these weaknesses by releasing regular updates. Keep ahead of criminal attempted by updating your devices and apps regularly or set your devices to do so automatically.
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6. Backup your data
If your device has been compromised, your sensitive personal information could be lost, damaged or stolen.
Keep a copy of your most important information by backing it up to cloud storage or a separate device. This ensures that if something was to happen to your device, you would have spare copies of your most important data.
Cyber security is not just an IT issue
When it comes to maintaining good cyber security, it is important to remember not to over rely on the IT department.
Cyber security is more than just IT – it’s about protecting you and your colleagues from digital threats. It can affect money, reputation, and customer trust. If someone gains unauthorised access to your systems, it can disrupt operations and lead to legal issues.
Every staff member plays a role when it comes to maintaining good cyber hygiene habits; this is why tailored sessions and advice to employees from all departments and levels across organisations can be helpful.
Cyber security is a team effort to keep businesses and organisations safe from digital risks.
Where to get help when experiencing a cyber incident
In addition to any business processes and procedures you may already have in place, we always advise businesses of any size to report a cyber incident to Action Fraud.
Once Action Fraud receive a report, they will triage it and send it to the local police cyber team who will be in touch to provide additional advice and guidance. This ensures that your local police force can be made aware of an incident at the earliest opportunity and begin any mitigation as soon as possible.
Reports can be made through their website or their direct line is 0300 123 2040.
Next steps...
- Check both you and your business are following the cyber hygiene tips listed above.
- Understand and monitor malicious cyber activity against your network by signing up to Police CyberAlarm’s free tool.
- Get in touch with the NERCCU team to create a custom cyber security ‘roadmap’ for your business
- Check out the NCSC's Small Business Guide: Cyber Security for more information on protecting yourself from a cyber threat.