Cybercrime is a term that every business in the UK should be aware of. The instances of cyber-attacks and data breaches have increased over recent years, especially since the Coronavirus pandemic and the advent of a larger proportion of the population working from home. It opened a whole new level of potentially vulnerable points within many businesses.
As a business, looking for the support of a professional IT support company you can learn about the potentially vulnerable points within your business and learn about how to increase the level of protection that you have in place.
Industries vulnerable to data breaches
Understanding which industries are most vulnerable to cyber-attack and data breaches will help your business to put together a formidable plan of action alongside a professional IT support company, that will help you to ward off the potential attacks and to react in the most effective way should you suffer a cyber-attack and a data breach.
There are some industries that are more vulnerable to cyber-attacks than others, with statistics highlighting that the following industries have suffered the most attacks in recent times. What are the most vulnerable UK industries when it comes to cyber crimes and data breaches?
Healthcare – the healthcare sector stores a huge amount of personal data and sensitive information about patients. With the digitization of the NHS and private medical institutions, there is an inherent vulnerability to cyber-attack.
The legal sector – legal firms also store huge amounts of sensitive, personal data about clients they represent. With so many legal issues covered in this sector it can be seen as a top target for hackers.
Education – as the use of technology has increased within all areas of the education sector, so too has the vulnerabilities against cyber-attacks. Shutting down a system of education can cause huge disruption to millions of students at a time.
IT and Telecom – both companies and customers are targeted within the telecommunication sector, as there is so much data out there to target. It is this sector that is targeted by cyber-criminals looking to infiltrate state networks and cause instability.
Financial institutions – there is so much information that banks, lenders, and other financial institutions collect and store that it is obvious this would be a target for cyber-criminals. Financial transactions through mobile banking have increased vulnerabilities.
How to detect and protect against a data breach
It isn’t always that easy to tell that your business has suffered from a cyber-attack. This is where a great IT support company will help though. There are a variety of approaches that hackers take to attack companies, with the idea to harvest as much information and data as possible before being detected.
With hybrid working and a higher number of people working from home across multiple industries and sectors it makes sense that cyber-attacks have increased. The function of allowing employees to work from home means that there must be a robust and secure system in place that allows access to network files and processes, but this automatically means that there is another point of potential vulnerability to exploit, no matter what sector your business is in.
There are a few things to look out for that could indicate that your company is under attack. This could be that there has been suspicious activity on the network, such as strange file transfers or failed log-in attempts, changes to system passwords and accounts that you were unaware of, suspicious banking activities linked to your account, or as simple as your anti-virus tools alerting you to infections and providing error and warning signs.
Always keep an eye on any potential warning signs that could be instances of data breaches and cyber-attacks. A good IT support company will conduct regular audits of your system to ensure everything is updated and has the latest protections against cyber threats. If there are suspicious aspects of your network, they should be investigated immediately, and any problems rectified as soon as possible. Breach detection systems also help to identify potential threats and monitor the network consistently.
The impact of data breaches
Cyber-attacks and data breaches can have a massive impact on businesses in the UK. If a business does not have support from a quality, IT support company it could be vulnerable to attack. Think about all the data and information that every business holds and stores – including employee information, client and supplier information, financial transactions, and more.
If a data breach results in the loss of data or assets the financial cost can run into the thousands, alongside any reputational damage and lack of trust with customers and suppliers that can cause long-term damage.
It is important that you understand the vulnerabilities that your business has when it comes to cyber-security, and that you have a relationship with an IT support company that you trust to implement a robust and secure cyber-security system that gives you peace of mind.
