Increasing risk of cyber threats to businesses
Cyberspace and online threats are the new environments in which the modern criminal thrives. As such, being aware of the risks that present themselves to you and your business is essential to maintaining the integrity of your company data, services, and software. Sadly, it’s easier said than done to be able to keep yourself protected from those with skill sets that seem more akin to fictional ne’er-do-wells than real-life antagonists.
It’s more important than ever to ensure that your employees are able to fully appreciate and recognise cyber threats in an effort to deter any compromise. Combined with the implementation of security measures, the on-going education of your staff to stay diligent and aware of the threats could prove invaluable to your business’ survival.
What can you do?
There are many measures you can take in your efforts to keep staff educated in relation to cyber threats. For example, hosting regular security briefings for all employees enables staff to join a forum in which fundamentals are covered and questions can be posed. Depending on the nature of your business and the exposure certain staff have to the risks, you should look to tailor your presentations accordingly, perhaps enlisting team leaders to refine the information and level of detail required of your staff.
One of the most compelling ways of demonstrating the threat level is to detail real-life events that have occurred. Deloitte, for example, last year experienced a hack that enabled criminals to access confidential contact details – including those of selected US government agencies – and business plans for clients. This exposure not only caused significant embarrassment to Deloitte, but demonstrated just how such threats can permeate a number of related parties through the failure of just a single company.
Another effective means of engaging your team regarding cyber threats is to undertake security audits on your own system – essentially hacking your own software. Such activity not only highlights areas currently exposed, but also relates directly to the daily working practices of your employees. If such activity doesn’t demonstrate just how seriously such risks should be taken, it’s arguable that nothing will!
Invest in innovation
While educating your employees represents a fundamental action for your business, there remains the requirement for developing better systems and better defences. Many companies, therefore, invest heavily in research and development to ensure they’re at the forefront of technological innovation.
By conducting R&D work, there is the added benefit that your business could take advantage of tax benefits from HMRC. Our R&D tax credits calculator shows how much you could recoup for any qualifying R&D work, while the experienced team at R&D Tax Solutions in Manchester can help guide you through the application process and advise you more about the eligibility criteria for making a claim.
