Cybercrime
Who is Chris Neilson?
Chris joined us in the office to talk about our role as a managed IT services provider. We discussed not just educating our clients, but preventing and protecting them from the vast range of evolving cybercrime. It is easier and easier to access tools that can compromise a business,” he warned. “Businesses who have not made the necessary steps to secure themselves are at an increased threat”
Chris mainly works directly for the Chief Constable, as well as on investigation work. His main role is to manage the cybercrime projects in Sussex as well as engage and liaise with businesses. In addition, Chris also helps to ‘raise what the vulnerabilities are as well as work with companies to create resilience in Sussex.’
Chris’ top tips to keep your business safe
- Grow your cyber security as your business grows and stay up to date with the latest technology, which is something IT support services can assist with. Read more about this on the Sussex Police website
- Keep your assets safe – have an inventory of your digital assets and an additional backup of them. This is important so in the event of having your data wiped from the system, or you being a victim of ransomware, you know your data is safe
- If your business does fall victim to any cybercrime report to Action Fraud, however, it is clearly advantageous for a business to look ahead by engaging with suitable expertise and taking (often) simple steps to prevent this. Once you have been in contact with action fraud, your incident is recorded and assessed for potential lines of enquiry. If suitable, the information will be passed to the local police force for further investigation
Chris’ top tips to keep your business safe
- Updates- ensure that you regularly update all software and devices. Larger companies such as Microsoft and Apple, release updates weekly to keep their operating systems up to date
- Passwords – you and your employees should have strong passwords which ideally are changed roughly every three months. Never write these passwords down otherwise they could get into the wrong hands. Don’t use names or phone numbers as the password as these can be easily guessed. Check our passwords guide for more advice on creating and storing passwords
- System monitoring – if you monitor your computer systems, you reduce the risk of unwanted malware or viruses from spreading. Monitoring also enables you to check antivirus is running on all devices. Keep an eye out for any updates
- Knowledge – if employees and employers are kept up to date with the latest cybercrime scams and techniques, they can learn how to spot and prevent attacks. Give staff access to guides and policies on the small changes they can make to prevent these cybercrimes from affecting your business
Action Fraud have now launched a 24/7 helpline, supporting businesses, charities and organisations to combat against cyber attacks.