How can your organisation reduce it's exposure to cyber-attacks?

Cyber security exposure: is your business vulnerable?

Preventing, detecting or disrupting a cyber-attack with top cybersecurity, at the earliest opportunity, limits and even possibly stops the impact on the business, and the potential to damage reputation it can cause.

A successful cyber attack can be devastating for a business, having financial, reputational and legal repercussions.

It’s normal for cyber attackers to be persistent and carry out more than one attack. They will frequently do this using common tools and techniques, which are cheaper and easier for them to use.

So, putting in place security controls that will defend your business’s IT infrastructure will go a long way in protecting it from those multiple attacks; this could be very cost-effective in the long term.

How to reduce your business’s cyber security exposure using essential security controls

Fortunately, there are effective and reliable ways to protect and even possibly nullify your organisation’s exposure to all types of cyber-attack on your IT systems.

Bluecube offers a number of cyber security services to prevent and defend against these kinds of attacks.

Let’s go through some defences that would be beneficial for any organisation in fighting against cyber-attacks.

Cyber security controls for increasing your business’s resilience:

• Boundary firewalls and internet gateways
At Bluecube, we establish your network perimeter defences and firewall policies to detect and block executable downloads, block access to known dangerous domains and obstruct users’ computers from communicating directly with the Internet.

• Patch management
Cybercriminals are opportunistic and will look to exploit people's fears, whether that is during national pandemics, disasters or events. During these times, we would recommend continuing patch deployment for your cybersecurity. At Bluecube we monitor, test and install multiple patches (code changes) on existing applications and software tools on your system.

• Password policy
We ensure all our clients’ systems have a complex and appropriate password in place. Here at Bluecube, we work on a two-factor authentication (2FA) password policy that increases your cyber security and reduces your business’s vulnerability and the risk of a cyber-attack.

• 24/7 Cyber security monitoring
We will monitor your IT system for any threats that could potentially compromise your system's security, compromising your business’s security and operation. All users that are connected to your organisation's system are on a database that we proactively manage and monitor. Should there be any detection of a threat, we will alert you.

• User training education and awareness
Staff should understand their role in keeping your organisation secure and report any unusual activity. This is something Bluecube can assist with.

• Security incident management
Putting plans in place to deal with an attack or cyber threat is an effective response and will help reduce the impact of cyber-attacks on your business.

Cyber-attacks can be a massive threat to any organisation no matter the size, especially as the number of people becoming digitally capable is growing every day.

What’s the difference between a Vulnerability and an Exposure in Cyber Security?

In cyber security, also referred to as IT security, there are some main differences between a vulnerability and an exposure.

Cyber Security Vulnerability – this is classed as a software coding error that is used by hackers in order for them to enter an IT system and carry out unauthorised activities, while posing as an authorised user. This is essentially summarised as a weakness in the system that can be exploited.

Cyber Security Exposure – whereas, an exposure is a software error that allows hackers to break into an IT system. During an exposure attack, the hackers may gain information or hide unauthorised actions. Usually, this is due to a mistake in the code or a configuration issue.

In both cases of a cyber security vulnerability or an exposure, hackers gain unauthorised access and this can lead to them carrying out illegal or malicious activity, such as accessing confidential information, installing malware, or stealing, destroying or modifying data.

What are the consequences of cyber-attacks for businesses?

As we’ve briefly mentioned above, the consequences of cyber-attacks on businesses can be truly damaging, often having an impact financially, eroding trust and losing reputation or legal issues.

1. Financial impact
The effect of this type of cyber attack can cause substantial financial loss, from theft of corporate information, bank details/ payment card information, theft of money, or a disruption to trading (such as a loss in sales due to an inability to carry out transactions online).

2. Impact on business reputation
Unfortunately, cyber attacks can impact your businesses reputation, leading to a loss of customer and supplier trust, losing customers or suppliers, and causing a reduction in sales and company profits.

Cyber-attacks erode trust and this can impact or affect relationships with partners, investors and other third parties.

3. Legal consequences
Depending on the nature of the cyber-attack, if data is compromised and as a business you failed to react or deploy appropriate security measures, there’s a chance you could face legal action or fines.

Any personal data you hold must be managed securely and in line with the data protection and privacy laws in place in the UK.

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Cyber Security Services at Bluecube

Bluecube are ISO27001 and take IT Security very seriously, keeping us and our clients secure is our top priority. We offer several services that can assist your organisation in making sure you are more resilient to cyber-attacks. Click here to enquire about our services.

Reduce your cyber security exposure and give our team a call today on 0845 257 8010, alternatively, you can drop us an email (enquiries@bluecube.tech), or fill out our online enquiry form, and one of our team will be in touch with you shortly.