As the war continues between Russia and Ukraine, Lindy Cameron, CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has advised that all UK organisations should protect themselves from cyber threats.
You may be wondering what a war 2,000 miles away in eastern Europe has to do with your business, but writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Lindy advised how cyberattacks do not respect geographic boundaries and that overseas criminals are targeting UK businesses daily. She went on to say –
“I’m sure there will be business leaders across the country who think: “It’s too complicated.”
Unfortunately, for businesses today, cyber security is essential.
Given the potential impact that breaches can have, all business leaders must take this threat seriously – or risk significant business impact. And it’s especially important in the current climate.”
As the crisis escalates, we anticipate more cyberattacks with UK businesses potentially being caught in the crossfire. Already there is evidence of Russia using computer wiping malware against Ukraine businesses; this could easily be transmitted to UK institutions.’
Speaking on behalf of the Eastern Cyber Resilience Centre – a Home Office supported organisation led by the police and focussed on providing guidance and affordable cyber services to businesses, Detective Superintendent Paul Lopez, the centre Director, said –
‘Now is the time for businesses in the East to act and look to protect their organisations, staff and customers from becoming another victim of a cyber-attack. We urge all business owners, partners, and CEOs to take this threat seriously. With the emergence of this new style of attack where your data is deleted permanently, there may be no going back if you are targeted.’
We would recommend that businesses should look to improve their cyber security include:
• Check your backup systems are running correctly and that you have an offline copy of your backup
• Verify access controls: removing old accounts, checking staff are using strong, unique passwords, and enabling multi-factor authentication if possible
• Check your system patching and ensure that all devices, business systems, and internet-facing services are patched
• Review and update your incident response plan
• Brief your staff: ensure that colleagues across the organisation understand the importance of cyber security and how to report any suspicious activity
Join the Centre for free today by signing up at Core Membership | The Eastern Cyber Resilience Centre (ecrcentre.co.uk). You will be guided through all of the steps needed to help protect yourselves and we will signpost you to our partners in the regional Police Protect Network and National Cyber Security Centre as well.
Story by : The Eastern Cyber Resilience Centre