FEATURE: TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION


Beware of rotten apples


Cyber security should be a priority for every business in Devon, regardless of size, says DAVE SMITH, Acronyms co-founder and Technical Director.


One of the most common myths about cyber security is that Apple Macs can’t be infected by viruses. It’s now widely recognised to be untrue, and while this has always been


the case (just to clarify, Apple products can get viruses) I still bump into the occasional person that thinks they can’t. In place of this Apple myth, a new one has emerged.


It’s a myth that suggests small businesses aren’t targeted by cyber-crime, and it’s precisely that – a myth. It’s born out of a belief that criminals


wouldn’t target a small company, when there are much bigger fish to target. However, it works on the assumption that cyber-crime is a very specific practice, when in most instances, it’s anything but. At Acronyms, we’re seeing a rise in the number of


companies approaching us to help them with a cyber-attack. Nonetheless, more than nine in every ten of the victims we speak to, haven’t been specifically targeted. Instead, the cases we have seen


are largely the result of malicious content, whether it be in the form of links, email attachments or infected software. These attacks are not designed


to target an individual business, but rather whoever will fall victim of it. The criminals are casting a net as far as they can and hoping someone, or rather anyone for that matter, will fall into it. They are not isolating businesses


and deciding to attack them on an individual basis. Instead, they are employing methods such spam email that can be sent to many businesses, and this is why every business in Devon, regardless of size, is at risk of cyber-crime. Therefore, if you’re a small


business owner in Devon, please don’t be fooled. You’re not too small to fall foul of cyber-crime and just for the record, if you have an Apple product also, you must protect it from viruses!


18 Chamber Profile May/June 2017


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