Unfortunately we live in an age of increasing threats to computer security. We rely on them more and more, and use of mobile devices is proliferating, for both leisure and business use. Therefore it is important to harden utility computer networks to resist threats and attacks. This is critical where temporary staff, outside contractors, or other third parties are involved, which may involve security vulnerabilities.
Computer security expert, Ivan Yordanov, CEO of Go Live UK, an IT services and cybersecurity consultancy, advises the following:
- Have secure backups
- Train staff in security
- Replace obsolete legacy software
- Adopt the best security practices
- Keep informed about security legislation
Legacy software might well have security holes that a hacker can exploit. There are also serious risk management and liability issues for executives if there is a security breach, as it may be that using this obsolete and vulnerable software could be considered a management failure if a lawsuit was involved.
Ransomware is a serious challenge, particularly where the malicious hackers get paid in cryptocurrency, which is harder to trace and recover than if money is paid into a traditional bank account. Ransomware normally attempts to encrypt the entire network, including backup computers, so victims have to pay to restore their computer functioning.
Yordanov says, “This is a serious problem that is constantly evolving, very often difficult to spot by staff and often not mitigated by senior management.” Companies that suffer major malicious attacks lose money, reputation, and can suffer many negative effects from these cyber security issues.
One method to combat Ransomware is to have a backup computer that is isolated from the rest of the network and invisible to hackers: if they can't see it, they can't attack it. Then the whole network can be restored with minimal loss of data.
Yordanov says, “Companies should have a proper, tested Disaster Recovery Plan and ensure that they have regular computer security audits so they can be confident that they are prepared for challenges of this nature.”