In an effort to support improving the cyber security among small business, the Government’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has released a new guide to give practice advice to business owners.
Outlining five quick and easy steps which small businesses can take to improve their security and protect their data, the steps can be taken by any and all organisations to improve their cyber security.
NCSC highlighted the steps’ ability to save organisations time, money and even business’ reputation or trust - which would potentially be lost in the event of a cyber attack.
The steps in the guide are not a fix-all for protecting an organisation, but are intended to significantly reduce the chances of a business falling victim to a cyber crime. According to the Government, 38% of small businesses suffered a cyber breach or attack in the past 12 months, with the average cost for those that lost data or assets standing at £8,170.
Further cyber security improvements can be achieved through seeking certification from NCSC through the Cyber Essentials scheme, which has the added benefit for business owners of demonstrating to clients - and prospective clients - that data protection is taken very serious in the business.
The five key steps raised in the guide are:
- Step 1 - Backing up your data; explaining things to consider when backing up your data.
- Step 2 - Protecting your organisation from malware; offering free and easy-to-implement tips that can help prevent malware damaging your organisation.
- Step 3 - Keeping your smartphones (and tablets) safe; providing quick tips that can help keep your mobile devices (and the information stored on them) secure.
- Step 4 - Using passwords to protect your data; detailing things to keep in mind when using passwords.
- Step 5 - Avoiding phishing attacks; outlining steps to help you identify the most common phishing attacks.
The NCSC’s new guidance - the Cyber Security Small Business Guide - can be downloaded in a PDF version here.
