Attire Accessories - Mar/Apr 2020 (Issue 81)

54 CYBER SECURITY Dids Macdonald, CEO of Anti Copying in Design (ACID), looks at the many facets of cyber security, and what to do to protect yourself and your business At a recent expert briefing from the Cyber Griffin City of London Police initiative to keep ahead of the game when it comes to cyber security, their experienced officers shared intel to mitigate cyber risks. They reminded us that our people are both our greatest security asset and our greatest risk so, being aware, prepared and proactive can help reduce cyber risks by taking a few simple steps. Each year fraud and cybercrime costs the UK economy £193 billion. Cyber crime is when fraudsters target us through our computers, tablets or smart phones or through the internet to steal valuable personal and or commercial information to illegally make money. Today, our lives increasingly depend on technology providing criminals with easy targets City of London Commissioner Ian Dyson said, “About 80% of cyber-crime is from business, so it’s important that we work with businesses to make sure they don’t become victims of cyber crime in the future. Cyber Griffin is about making sure that people at all levels of those organisations and businesses have access to the best advice in order to protect them and their businesses.” Cyber crime is not faceless, those using mobile devices are vulnerable and 91% of cybercrime starts with an email. To put cyber crime into perspective and demonstrate its growth, 1 in 7 crimes are now cyber related and 1 in 47 are burglary. Clearly, the ease in which criminals make money through cyber crime is a cause for concern and action. Phishing is the unlawful act of obtaining sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by criminals faking themselves as a credible entity in an electronic communication. What is malware? Malware is any software that is intentionally designed to cause damage to a computer, server, client, or computer network, so ensure you obtain malware protection such as Norton. Check your settings are secure; tweet or use Facebook in secure locations; ensure Location Services are switched off when not in use; keep personal and business email separately; download anti-malware software; beware of cleverly disguised emails from well-known brands such as TV licensing, Netflix, Microsoft 365, asking for personal information or payment details, don’t open or respond. Avoid using public Wi-Fi when transferring sensitive information, such as payment details Ransomware is a type of malicious software that can infect a computer and restricts genuine users’ access until a ransom or payment is paid, often into an anonymous Bit Coin account. Ensure antivirus systems are up to date and that appropriate firewalls are in place together with checking that legitimate software updates are current. Did you know that 78% Apps fail basic security checks so be aware! 90% – are you prepared?