Cyber Security: Ultimate Knowledge Guide [2024]

Team’s Cyber Security Knowledge

Did you know that when it comes to cyber security, the weakest links are generally the people within an organization? Yes, that’s right – user error is one of the main reasons organizations fall victim to cyber-attacks. Clicking a phishing email that looks convincingly like it’s come from your colleague could allow hackers to successfully infiltrate your organization’s systems and gain access to your confidential information and data.

By training your team on suspicious activity to look out for and what steps should be taken when unsure about the legitimacy of an email for example, you can significantly reduce the chances of falling victim to a cyber attack, which can lead to a loss of confidential client/employee data. This type of data breach can not only cause you to be fined through GDPR but can cause reputational damage which will have an impact on your current clients and prospective clients.

Your IT Team?

Have you thought about whether your in-house IT team is sufficiently staffed or not? As your organization grows, inevitably, the need for additional team members arises including the ever-important IT team to look after your IT infrastructure and systems and that team member who gets locked out of their laptop (again).

If you are struggling to find another head for your team or don’t want to go through the lengthy process of recruitment, it may be worth outsourcing some of your IT to a Managed Service Provider (MSP) like Complete I.T.. At Complete I.T., we pride ourselves on becoming a part of your team – you should never feel like you are working with a nameless third-party provider.

Endpoint Security

Hybrid working is neither temporary or a trend, it is most certainly ‘the new normal’ as many organizations across the UK (and the world) adopt this flexible approach. There are many benefits to having a flexible workforce including efficiency and productivity, but with everyone working from different locations, the security of the endpoints (whichever company device’s they are using) needs to be secure to keep your organizations data safe, no matter where your team are working from.

Getting Cyber Essentials Certified

Cyber Essentials is a trusted government backed scheme which covers a set of security standards which organizations can be assessed and certified against. There are five key areas that are looked into:

• Firewalls
• Secure Configuration
• User Access Control
• Malware Protection
• Patch Management

Each of these areas contain multiple questions to identify that key security configurations are in place.

Not only is Cyber Essentials a good look for your clients and prospective clients, as you are showing them that you take cyber security seriously, but it is also good for your insurance premiums.

There are currently two different Cyber Essentials options – ‘Basic’ and ‘Plus’. Both have a self-certified element and with this alone, you can achieve the ‘Basic’ accreditation. However, with Cyber Essentials Plus, an external auditor will assess your working environment to ensure it conforms to the requirements. It is a more rigorous process but carries great value and credibility to your business.

These are just some of the many things you should be considering when it comes to cyber security. At Complete I.T., we always advise a multi-layered approach when it comes to cyber security to help protect your organisation from all angles.

Learn more about Complete I.T.’s cyber security solutions: https://www.complete-it.co.uk/