It’s one of those bizarre contradictions that are so commonplace – despite feeling more vulnerable than ever to cyberattacks since the switch to home working, it seems businesses still aren’t taking any actions to prevent themselves.
According to a survey by NFU Mutual, 47% of companies surveyed feel more vulnerable, yet 45% have not taken action to protect themselves. Indeed among the latter number, 79% think that because their business is small, the chance of a cyberattack is small.
Of course, statistics have proven that nothing could be further from the truth.
“It’s common for smaller businesses to assume their size makes them less of a target, but no business, regardless of size, is safe from cyberattack,” said Zoe Knight, commercial propositions manager at NFU Mutual. “We have extended this free service in direct response to the increased exposure our commercial customers are facing. With cyber-threats growing in sophistication, we want to help businesses understand the dangers, as well as the protection measures available to them.”
The research showed that 55% of businesses have at least one cyber security measure in place, but only 24% had organised more than one mode of protection.
“The best way to defend against cyberattack is to implement a range of security measures, providing layers of protection and accounting for different types of threat,” said Knight. “I’d also encourage business owners to talk to their IT supplier to ensure they understand whether cyber-security is included. Again, many businesses assume existing systems protect them, but this is not always the case and it may be necessary to organise separate or additional cyber-security measures.”
NFU Mutual also offered a number of tips to help protect businesses against cybercrime, including: the use of strong, unique passwords; taking extra care with emails to avoid clicking on unsolicited links; and making sure cyber security is a key consideration for everyone within the business.
