Technology and the internet are witnessing advancements like never before, but it has also given rise to unprecedented cyber threats and attacks. From ransomware attacks to highly complex and sophisticated cyber attacks, businesses in the UK are dealing with a lot of cybersecurity issues. With digital transformation entering every walk of business, it is important to take robust cyber security measures. There are IT solutions in London that can help businesses implement these security measures. Read further in the blog to understand more about cyber threats in the UK landscape, implementing cyber essentials and regulatory compliance, proactive monitoring and incident response, employee training and secuirty culture and leveraging secure cloud platforms.
Understanding Cyber Threats in the UK Landscape
Cyber threats are increasing at an alarming rate, posing a serious risk to all businesses regardless of their size and nature. Banks and large organisations have been attacked recently with highly sophisticated cyber attacks, which have exposed how these attacks can leave even well-established organisations vulnerable. Evolving risks in the most common cyber attacks include:
- Ransomware: Risks associated with ransomware are that these attacks encrypt confidential business information and then demand for ransom in exchange for access. These attacks primarily target organisations like law firms, hospitals, financial institutions, etc. and may even result in operational shutdown and major financial losses if not dealt with in time.
- Phishing: Phishing attacks include tricking business employees through fake messages or emails into revealing sensitive business information and data. With advancements in technology and artificial intelligence, hackers are now using AI to create highly convincing scams, and it has become the most common entry for more serious breaches.
- Insider Threats: Insider threats can either be intentional or unintentional.. Since employees have access to this business information and the trail, these attacks can become really difficult to detect and monitor. Weak access controls and a lack of training can become contributing factors to these types of cyberattacks.
It is more important than ever for business organisations to shift from a reactive to a proactive approach towards cybersecurity. There should be proper, strategically designed, and implemented robust security measures in place that align with the business’s requirements. There are many reliable IT solutions London that businesses can partner with and have these cybersecurity measures designed and implemented.
Implementing Cyber Essentials and Regulatory Compliance
Cyber Essentials is a certification backed by the UK government that is specifically designed to help businesses protect themselves against 80% of the most common cyber attacks. This certification enables businesses to stay proactive and demonstrate a clear commitment towards cybersecurity and data protection.
This Cyber Essentials certification is based on five technical controls:
- Firewalls: These controls help in preventing unauthorised access to the business network.
- Secure Configuration: This control ensures that systems and devices are set up and configured securely.
- User Access Controls: This control intends to limit access to data and systems based on the assigned roles to the staff.
- Malware Protection: This controls proactively detects and blocks any harmful software.
- Patch Management: This control ensures that any security gaps are closed and software is updated in all devices.
Through the robust implementation of these controls, businesses can significantly reduce the risk of cyberattacks and also provide these benefits:
- When businesses demonstrate and achieve Cyber Essentials certification, they are also in a position to negotiate for lower cybersecurity insurance premiums by proving due diligence.
- The UK government favour businesses that have a valid Cyber Essentials certification for granting contracts and tenders.
- Cyber Essentials Certification also enables businesses to demonstrate their credibility and trust towards clients, customers, partners and other stakeholders.
Proactive Monitoring & Incident Response
Prevention of cyber attacks is not enough, and it is of utmost importance that businesses proactively monitor and rapidly respond to incidents so that these cyber attacks are detected early and damage is minimised. There are certain terms associated terms to these practices- Managed Detection Response (MDR), Security Operations Centres (SOC) and threat hunting.
- Managed Detection Response (MDR): It is typically an outsourced threat management service that uses security experts and Proactive IT Support, real-time attack detection and response. It includes analysing endpoint data, system logs, and network traffic to identify potential security breaches and suspicious activity.
- Security Operations Centres (SOC): It is a centralised command facility where a team of IT security professionals uses security tools and processes to assess, monitor, and remediate IT threats in real-time, across an organisation’s systems, devices, and critical applications.
- Threat Hunting: It can be explained as actively and continuously searching for hidden risks within the business systems and devices, identifying any vulnerabilities and closing these gaps before any exploitation can be committed.
Some businesses rely on ethical hacking and penetration testing practices to identify any weaknesses which allow businesses to patch any existing vulnerabilities. These measures impersonate real like cyber attacks to find these weaknesses and vulnerabilities in the business’s infrastructure and systems.
In addition to the above, businesses also require a well-structured incident response plan to ensure that timely actions are taken in case of any cyber attacks to minimise downtime, data loss, reputational damage and financial losses.
Employee Training & Security Culture
Employees of any organisation work as a first line of defence but can also become the weakest point of entry for cyber attacks. Businesses need to create and maintain a proper and robust employee training and security culture to empower their staff to proactively identify these threats and act accordingly.
Certain important steps towards building this security culture involve:
- The first and foremost training that should be provided to the employees is phishing training. It enables employees to spot and identify suspicious emails, links, attachments, files, etc., which are the most common entry points for cyber attacks.
- Auditing and GDPR compliance training are essential to make employees aware of their responsibilities to handle confidential information and personal data.
- Businesses should also ensure to enforce strong password policies, multi-factor authentication and regular testing of the secuirty systems through mock drills to identify any security gaps so that necessary corrective actions can be taken.
Leveraging Secure Cloud Platforms
Cloud platforms are one of the most transformative innovations in the business world. These solutions offer flexibility and scalability for businesses, especially those which are at the growing stage. But it is also equally important to consider robust security measures for securing cloud infrastructure.
Reliable cloud backups are necessary to ensure that in case of any cyber attacks, business continuity remains unaffected and rapid recovery can be achieved. Further, since data stored on these clouds is accessed remotely by users, proper authentication should be ensured through passwords and multi-factor authentication, and it should also be ensured that user-based access controls are implemented to avoid any unauthorised access to sensitive business data.
Businesses can also partner with a reliable IT support provider in the UK that offers round-the-clock support and ensures that your cloud infrastructure is safe from these cyber threats and attacks.
Partnering with Trusted IT Support in the United Kingdom
Businesses should partner with a reliable, expert and trusted IT support in UK that specifically specialises in implementing robust cyber security measures for your business. It is advisable to partner with a local IT support provider for businesses in London which demonstrate hands-on experience in dealing with complex and sophisticated cyber attacks.
Dedicated round-the-clock support, access to experts, proactive monitoring, etc. are some of the most important benefits that businesses can gain from partnering with a trusted IT support in UK.
Conclusion
As explained in the blog, cyber attacks are evolving at an alarming rate, and it has become imperative for businesses to be proactive in dealing with these threats and attacks through robust cyber secuirty measures and strategies. Achieving Cyber Essentials certification is no longer optional for businesses. Proactive monitoring and incident response, employee training and security culture, leveraging secure cloud platforms and partnering with a reliable IT support in UK are measures that can prevent organisations from these cyber attacks and ensure that they remain resilient and compliant. Associate with a trusted IT support provider like Tristar Tech Solutions today for customised solutions that align with your business’s security requirements.
FAQs
- What are some common cyber threats faced by UK businesses?
Some of the most common cyber security threats faced by UK businesses include phishing, ransomware, malware, DDoS attacks, SQL injection attacks, etc.
- What is Cyber Essentials certification, and why is it important?
Cyber Essentials certification is a framework issued by the UK government that sets out basic security controls and measures that can safeguard organisations against 80% of common cyber attacks. It further helps in complying with data protection laws.
- What are the five technical controls listed under Cyber Essentials?
The five technical controls listed under Cyber Essentials include firewalls, secure configuration, user access control, malware protection, and security update management.
- What is managed detection (SOC/MDR) and threat hunting?
Managed detection and response (MDR) is a cyber security measure that goes beyond traditional security and is generally an outsourced service that includes threat hunting, monitoring, and incident response capabilities.
- Why is employee training important for cybersecurity?
Employee training is important for cybersecurity to reduce the risk of data breaches, malware infections, phishing, etc. Training can help employees significantly reduce the risk of cyberattacks.
