5 Tips to Protect Your Data From Cyber Attacks

After hundreds of people had their login details stolen through a phishing attack, a technique used to deceive users, on the bus company’s Jersey and Guernsey websites, Stafford Slater, Head of Networks and Security at C5 Alliance, discusses how to ensure your data isn’t exposed through the use of vulnerable websites.

At C5 Alliance we believe that data is our clients’ most valuable asset and our role is to help them protect it from those who will inevitably try to take it. In the case of cybersecurity our view is that the best form of defence against these types of attacks is to take a proactive approach.

Security should be run as a continuous life cycle which consists of:

• Identify key assets
• Protect your data
• Understand and detect threats
• Responding to attacks
• Recover from incidents
• Nurturing capability and talent in the cyber security space

There are a number of things to consider when creating a data protection plan, the obvious choice is ransom protection which ensures the integrity of data and, if the worst should happen, allows it to be recovered. Businesses should also consider how their data is stored, and backed up, as well as its compliance with GDPR. By covering all of these bases they will minimise recovery time and the impact on their business operations.

95% of cyber security breaches are due to human error. Below are five tips to help reduce the risk of your data being compromised whilst online:

1. Practice good password management and don’t reuse passwords across several sites, use a phrase or sentence you can easily remember or ideally employ a password safe and more complex passwords.
2. Make sure the websites you are using are secure by checking they use HTTPS in the search bar and look for the padlock icon next to the web address, and make sure it is locked.
3. Be careful what you click on, if there are unexpected or suspicious looking attachments or links don’t click on them.
4. Training is essential as the majority of breaches are caused by human error.
5. Seek advice from technology experts. At C5 Alliance security is one of the main services we offer. Ensuring our clients’ data is protected is critical and a top priority for us.

Finally, remember that no solution will ever be 100% secure and the nature of threats continues to evolve as attackers get more intelligent. However, we can offer the latest technology to ensure our clients have the best forms of protection available. Attackers will still always go for the easiest targets so by following the above steps and with our help to plan a lifecycle approach to security, you will significantly minimise risk to your business.

For more information on the services C5 Alliance provide please click here.