April 22, 2023
The importance of protecting your business with a combined cyber security and cyber insurance strategy.
As we’ve previously explored, 39% of UK businesses have been subject to a cyberattack in the past 12 months. The problem is growing, with phishing attempts, denial of service and malware and ransomware attacks happening every day to businesses of all sizes.
In response, the Government’s National Cyber Security Centre launched its Cyber Aware campaign, to help both individuals and businesses stay secure online.
The campaign offers a free, tailored cyber action plan, as well as a range of resources and videos covering the likes of protecting email and keeping devices safe.
Cyber action plan
The cyber action plan involves answering a few simple questions to get your own personalised plan that lists what you or your business can do to protect against cyberattacks.
You’ll be prompted to answer questions about your password habits, your use of 2-step verification, how you approach data backups, the devices you use for work and the security features you have in place for each of them, your use of firewalls and antivirus software, your attitude to installing software and security updates, and the size of your business.
At the end, you’ll receive advice on any action to take based on your answers.
For example, you may be prompted to check if your publicly available IP address has any common security issues that may allow cyber criminals to attack your systems and access your data.
Check your Cyber Security is a free government service that undertakes some straightforward online checks to detect common vulnerabilities in your public-facing IP. If any issues are found, you will be provided with step-by-step guidance on what you should do to help protect your data.
Not sure what an IP address is? This NCSC video explains all.
You may also be encouraged, if relevant, to start a conversation about cyber security with your team.
The NCSC has a free online training program called Staying Safe Online: Top Tips for Staff. It’s easy to use and takes less than 30 minutes.
The program introduces why cyber security is important and how attacks happen, and covers good passwords, securing devices, looking out for phishing attacks and reporting incidents if they happen.
There are also explainer videos about phishing, protecting your organisation from ransomware and creating a positive cyber security culture at work which are all worth sharing with your workers.
Email security
If a cybercriminal gains access to your email, they may be able to access your other online accounts using the ‘forgot password’ feature, as well as access information which they can use to scam you or people you know.
The Cyber Aware campaign recommends two actions you can take to instantly protect your email.
The first is to use a strong and unique password for every email account you use, made up of three random words. This method is a helpful way to create a password that is easy to recall, but difficult to crack.
The second is to turn on 2-step verification for your email. This provides twice the protection, so even if a cybercriminal does obtain your password, they won’t be able to access your email because they’ll need a second layer of information to get in. You can, for example, set the email to request a code that’s sent to your mobile when you sign in using a new device or change settings. It’s not something you’ll be asked to do every time you login to your email.
Here’s how to turn on 2-Step Verification.
Password management
It is vital to use strong passwords for all online accounts, and not to use the same password anywhere else. However, because everyone has so many online accounts, it can be tempting to use a single password, as creating and remembering so many different ones can be difficult.
The answer is to use a password manager or web browser to create and store all your passwords securely, so you don’t have to come up with or remember them.
The NCSC offers advice on how to save passwords in your browser and how to use password managers.
Data backups
A backup is a copy of your important data. It is stored in a separate safe location, either in the cloud, or on some form of removable media such as USB stick, SD card, or external hard drive.
Once a backup has been made, if you lose access to your original data, you can restore a copy of it from the backup.
The Cyber Aware campaign provides advice on why backups are important, the different backups available and instructions on how to make backups.
Keeping devices up to date
Applying security updates as they become available will help protect your devices, systems and accounts from cyberattacks.
Updates are important because they include protection from viruses and other kinds of malware. They will often also include improvements, bug fixes and new features.
Installing updates immediately is therefore important, and you should also turn on ‘automatic updates’ in your device’s settings wherever available so you don’t need to remember to install them yourself.
The Cyber Aware campaign provides advice on how to keep devices up to date and how to turn on automatic updates, and what to do when a device no longer receives updates.
Our advice – consider CYBER INSURANCE – because you can NEVER be 100% protected online
A good attitude to cyber security is clearly vital if you are going to keep your business and your data safe, and your reputation intact.
Cyber insurance is also crucial for businesses, because as much effort as you put in to cyber security, you can never be 100% safe online. This is why cyber security and cyber insurance should go hand in hand.
At Robert Gerrard, we offer cyber insurance cover through a selection of leading providers. Following an individual appraisal of your needs and risk level, we will pair you with the cover that best suits your requirements.
Policies include a variety of protection measures, including cybercrime cover, cyber incident response, cover for system damage and business interruption, risk management services and privacy liability and breach notification cover.
Every business of every size and in every industry is potentially at risk from cybercrime, and cyber threats are evolving every day. Taking measures to safeguard your business, and backing this up with a purpose-designed cyber insurance policy, is the only way to achieve complete peace of mind.
For tailored advice on protecting your business against the latest forms of cybercrime with tailored insurance cover, we welcome you to get in touch with our dedicated cyber protection team.
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The importance of protecting your business with a combined cyber security and cyber insurance strategy.
As we’ve previously explored, 39% of UK businesses have been subject to a cyberattack in the past 12 months. The problem is growing, with phishing attempts, denial of service and malware and ransomware attacks happening every day to businesses of all sizes.
In response, the Government’s National Cyber Security Centre launched its Cyber Aware campaign, to help both individuals and businesses stay secure online.
The campaign offers a free, tailored cyber action plan, as well as a range of resources and videos covering the likes of protecting email and keeping devices safe.
Cyber action plan
The cyber action plan involves answering a few simple questions to get your own personalised plan that lists what you or your business can do to protect against cyberattacks.
You’ll be prompted to answer questions about your password habits, your use of 2-step verification, how you approach data backups, the devices you use for work and the security features you have in place for each of them, your use of firewalls and antivirus software, your attitude to installing software and security updates, and the size of your business.
At the end, you’ll receive advice on any action to take based on your answers.
For example, you may be prompted to check if your publicly available IP address has any common security issues that may allow cyber criminals to attack your systems and access your data.
Check your Cyber Security is a free government service that undertakes some straightforward online checks to detect common vulnerabilities in your public-facing IP. If any issues are found, you will be provided with step-by-step guidance on what you should do to help protect your data.
Not sure what an IP address is? This NCSC video explains all.
You may also be encouraged, if relevant, to start a conversation about cyber security with your team.
The NCSC has a free online training program called Staying Safe Online: Top Tips for Staff. It’s easy to use and takes less than 30 minutes.
The program introduces why cyber security is important and how attacks happen, and covers good passwords, securing devices, looking out for phishing attacks and reporting incidents if they happen.
There are also explainer videos about phishing, protecting your organisation from ransomware and creating a positive cyber security culture at work which are all worth sharing with your workers.
Email security
If a cybercriminal gains access to your email, they may be able to access your other online accounts using the ‘forgot password’ feature, as well as access information which they can use to scam you or people you know.
The Cyber Aware campaign recommends two actions you can take to instantly protect your email.
The first is to use a strong and unique password for every email account you use, made up of three random words. This method is a helpful way to create a password that is easy to recall, but difficult to crack.
The second is to turn on 2-step verification for your email. This provides twice the protection, so even if a cybercriminal does obtain your password, they won’t be able to access your email because they’ll need a second layer of information to get in. You can, for example, set the email to request a code that’s sent to your mobile when you sign in using a new device or change settings. It’s not something you’ll be asked to do every time you login to your email.
Here’s how to turn on 2-Step Verification.
Password management
It is vital to use strong passwords for all online accounts, and not to use the same password anywhere else. However, because everyone has so many online accounts, it can be tempting to use a single password, as creating and remembering so many different ones can be difficult.
The answer is to use a password manager or web browser to create and store all your passwords securely, so you don’t have to come up with or remember them.
The NCSC offers advice on how to save passwords in your browser and how to use password managers.
Data backups
A backup is a copy of your important data. It is stored in a separate safe location, either in the cloud, or on some form of removable media such as USB stick, SD card, or external hard drive.
Once a backup has been made, if you lose access to your original data, you can restore a copy of it from the backup.
The Cyber Aware campaign provides advice on why backups are important, the different backups available and instructions on how to make backups.
Keeping devices up to date
Applying security updates as they become available will help protect your devices, systems and accounts from cyberattacks.
Updates are important because they include protection from viruses and other kinds of malware. They will often also include improvements, bug fixes and new features.
Installing updates immediately is therefore important, and you should also turn on ‘automatic updates’ in your device’s settings wherever available so you don’t need to remember to install them yourself.
The Cyber Aware campaign provides advice on how to keep devices up to date and how to turn on automatic updates, and what to do when a device no longer receives updates.
Our advice – consider CYBER INSURANCE – because you can NEVER be 100% protected online
A good attitude to cyber security is clearly vital if you are going to keep your business and your data safe, and your reputation intact.
Cyber insurance is also crucial for businesses, because as much effort as you put in to cyber security, you can never be 100% safe online. This is why cyber security and cyber insurance should go hand in hand.
At Robert Gerrard, we offer cyber insurance cover through a selection of leading providers. Following an individual appraisal of your needs and risk level, we will pair you with the cover that best suits your requirements.
Policies include a variety of protection measures, including cybercrime cover, cyber incident response, cover for system damage and business interruption, risk management services and privacy liability and breach notification cover.
Every business of every size and in every industry is potentially at risk from cybercrime, and cyber threats are evolving every day. Taking measures to safeguard your business, and backing this up with a purpose-designed cyber insurance policy, is the only way to achieve complete peace of mind.
For tailored advice on protecting your business against the latest forms of cybercrime with tailored insurance cover, we welcome you to get in touch with our dedicated cyber protection team.