RANGE REVIEW: SECURITY & SAFETY
While retailers have an important job supplying their consumers with the right security solution, it is crucial they shore up their own business and ensure they aren’t left vulnerable. With this in mind, the British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA) has teamed up with The Government’s Cyber Aware campaign to provide retailers with top tips on how to protect their businesses and in turn, their customers, from cyber threats.
Recent events have highlighted the catastrophic effects that cyber crime can have on businesses of all sizes; however research by KPMG and along with the Government’s Cyber Aware campaign suggests that the retail industry is not taking these threats seriously enough, with one in seven not taking steps to protect their data[1]. Even though nearly three quarters (71%) of retailers put the most value on their customers [2] and 58% of consumers say they would be deterred from using a business hit by a cyber attack, it appears there are still gaps in retailers’ cyber security strategies: 95% of businesses consider cyber security to be very or quite important to their business and yet 45% do not have a formal cyber security strategy. [3]
What’s clear is that it’s vital that all independent retailers implement effective cyber security and cyber- enabled fraud prevention. But how can they do this? 1. Install the latest software and app updates; they contain vital security upgrades which help protect your devices from viruses and hackers.
2. Use a strong, separate password for your business’s email accounts; hackers can use your email to take control of many of your accounts. Use three random words or numbers to create a strong password.
3. Always back-up your most important data; that way hackers cannot hold you to ransom over your business’s data.
4. Provide staff with access to simple, freely-available cyber security
24 DIY WEEK 29 SEPTEMBER 2017
PROTECT YOURSELF
training. This can educate your staff in protective tactics such as identifying phishing emails and identity fraud including a hacker posing as a CEO and asking for payment details.
5. Seek accreditation through the Cyber Essentials scheme, a Government-backed and industry-supported ‘standard’ which protects your business against the most common online threats.
BIRA membership & marketing director Robert Jarrett says: “A significant cyber attack could put an independent retailer out of business. The greatest asset independents have over the bigger retailers is their connection with their customers. Lose this trust and you lose your business.
“It is vitally important to ensure your business is protected as well as it can be.”
[1] Cyber Aware/KPMG Small Business Reputation & The Cyber Risk report from 2016
[2] Cyber Aware/KPMG Small Business Reputation & The Cyber Risk report from 2016
[3] Barclays IoD Policy Report March 2017
www.diyweek.net
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