CYBERSECURITY FEATURES
Cyber safety made simple
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Te rise of digital working means online security is vital, but the good news is you don’t need to be an IT expert to protect your business from hackers
s businesses adapt to the ongoing pandemic, digital ways of working have become more important than ever. But as technology
advances, so do the scams designed to target weaknesses in firms’ cybersecurity. Protecting yourself from online crooks and hackers can seem like a daunting task. However, some of the most effective tools are also the simplest – and are often free. Declan Doyle is Head of Ethical Hacking at the Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC). Ethical hackers search for vulnerabilities that a crook could exploit so organisations can stop attacks before they happen. He said: “There’s a misconception
that cybersecurity has to be expensive, but the most important things you can do are free. Even something as simple as doing an update on your computer can really help.”
Pick a passphrase One of the most important steps
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a business can take is to review the passwords it uses. Declan explained: “We like to think of ‘passphrases’ now because one word no longer cuts it. ‘Dictionary attacks’ use software that attempts every word in the dictionary until it gets a password that works. “Choose three random words,
something that’s not associated with you. Put a random number in the word and throw in special characters. The spacebar is your friend – add spaces between words and letters and add in underscores. “It’s also important not to reuse
passwords. All it takes is for a hacker to get access to one account and they can log into others.” If you’re worried about remembering multiple passwords for different accounts, Declan recommends making the most of tech tools you probably already have on your computer. Password managers are like a bank vault for your details – keeping them secure and meaning you only have to remember one password to access them.
Phishing for info Another common tactic used by crooks is to send phishing emails – messages that pretend to be from legitimate
sources to trick you into handing over details. If you think an email looks suspicious or if it’s unexpected, the best thing to do is call the person it claims to be from to see if the message is genuine. “If you’re concerned about something then just pick up the phone and double check,” said Declan. “It might be frustrating, but it’s far less frustrating than losing thousands of pounds and it’s always better to be safe than sorry. “If you’re not expecting it, definitely raise an eyebrow. I’d also look out for vagueness. If someone is chasing an outstanding payment then they would usually provide a lot of detail. “Spelling mistakes can also highlight the fact that something’s not right, as well as emails with a sense of urgency about getting you to do something right away. They want you to panic so take a breath, calm down and think about it.”
COVID confusion During the COVID-19 pandemic, scammers have changed their tactics to try to take advantage of the health crisis. Phishing messages urging people to click to claim government help or PPE have become increasingly common and security experts predict a rise in hoax emails offering vaccines. Lockdown has
BOOST YOUR DEFENCES
To help you learn more about cybersecurity, the SBRC runs free training sessions to help organisations find out how resilient they are to cyber attacks and practice their response in a safe space. To find out more, visit
www.sbrcentre.co.uk/prevent-protect/ cyber-services/exercise-in-a-box
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