Cybercrime is a growing problem. The high profile attacks of 2017 may have grabbed the headlines, but the reality is that businesses across Scotland (and worldwide) are being attacked on an almost daily basis.

From e-mail based phishing, to web-app attacks, cybercriminals are finding ever more creative ways to breach data and find new ways to exploit it. The bottom line is that if your business handles data of any kind, or uses connected technology, it’s at risk.

Help is, however, on hand. Business Gateway has teamed up with some of Scotland’s leading cyber experts and security gurus (securus?) to create a simple, practical guide to help Scotland’s SMEs protect themselves and become more cyber resilient.

How to Protect Your Business

Published in the latest issue of Amplify, Business Gateway’s free monthly newsletter, companies can find help on topics including

• A 10-point plan to secure customer data
• How to spot a phishing e-mail
• Five ways to improve your businesses cyber resilience

This isn’t just the usual generic ‘change your passwords regularly, folks!‘ advice. It breaks down the simple steps every business should be following to minimise its vulnerabilities.

Securus!

Amplify has pulled in advice from some of the sector’s big-hitters and people who have not only been-there-done-that-got-the-t-shirt  but who have successfully prevented it from happening again (and got another, better, safer t-shirt):

• Stu Hirst – Head of Security Systems and Infrastructure Operations at Capital One and former IT security manager at Skyscanner
• Samantha Beaumont – Security Consultant for one of the world’s largest software companies and an ‘ethical hacker’
• Gerry Grant – Chief Ethical Hacking Consultant at the Scottish Business Resilience Centre

Stu Hirst told Amplify: “Cyber security is about protecting and maintaining business systems, architecture, networks, reputations and people. In that light, it could be defined as the enablement of business.  All SMEs are a target.  Whether under direct threat or as the potential innocent victim of a wider situation, nobody is immune to this.”

Samantha Beaumont focused on an often overlooked part of the cybersecurity process – the user: “One of the best things any SME can do in terms of improving its cyber resilience is to look at its people and make sure they are security savvy – even just on a basic level to begin with.”

Gerry Grant added: “Effective cyber resilience isn’t expensive. In fact, most cyber attacks on SMEs could be prevented with simple changes on the inside.”

Digital Boost

Hugh Lightbody, the Chief Officer at Business Gateway National Unit said: “Almost every day now we hear stories of breaches in online security affecting large organisations and small.  Unfortunately, this is not a matter that is going to go away so improving cybersecurity and knowing how to deal with attacks or online fraud must be on every SMEs’ agenda.  This type of crime does not discriminate and every business is a potential target so adopting an “it’ll never happen to me” attitude isn’t enough, because it might.

“As digital technologies have become a standard in business so too cyber security becomes one of the biggest challenges.  The latest edition of Amplify is full of essential advice and real life examples of how failing to mitigate the risks can have a dramatic impact on SMEs.”

Scottish businesses which want to improve their digital skills can sign up to Business Gateway’s free DigitalBoost programme.

DigitalBoost allows business owners to access free workshops, 1:1 expert support and online tutorials and guides to support them with all aspects of digital.  The latest additions to the programme include a workshop on cyber resilience for SMEs and an essential new online tutorial on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

To find out more visit www.bgateway.com/digitalboost.

The security issue of Amplify is available FREE online.

As crypto legend and cyberstar Professor Bill Buchanan (OBE) puts it: It’s no longer OK not to understand technology. Go and read Amplify, sign up for a workshop and of course, keep an eye on DIGIT.

If you don’t, the consequences could be disastrous…