Charlotte Riley, director of information security at technology at CSS Assure, said: “Too often, businesses are put off from protecting themselves from a cyber attack or data breach due to the associated costs and not knowing where to start.
“However, with virtually everything connected to the internet in today’s digital world, the need to protect valuable data is more important than ever. We live in a world where cyber risk is omnipresent and threat posed by hackers is a clear and present danger.
“Businesses across the globe are handling increasing amounts of highly-sensitive data, providing hackers with fertile hunting ground. This type of information can be extremely valuable to cyber criminals as they can sell it to a third party or use it as a bargaining tool.
“We understand businesses are doing all they can to survive the current economic climate and are proud to have launched My Cyber Clinic – giving companies a more affordable option to protect themselves, their staff and clients, websites and applications, data and reputation from a cyber attack or data breach.”
The government’s cyber security breaches survey 2023 revealed that 32% of UK businesses reported a cyber breach or attack in the past 12 months.
The report also found that while the majority of organisations have a broad range of cyber hygiene measures in place, the numbers implementing password policies dropped from 79% in 2021 to 70% today, use of network firewalls is down from 78% to 66%, implementation of admin rights restrictions is down from 75% to 67%, and implementation of prompt patching policies is down from 43% to 31%.
Charlotte added: “Many businesses falsely assume that because they believe they have not suffered a cyber attack or data breach, they are not being targeted by cyber criminals. However, the most effective attack is one you don’t know has happened.
“The consequences of a cyber attack or data breach can be financially-devastating, particularly for SMEs. Additionally, cyber and data security due diligence is now a compulsory element of securing cyber insurance, onboarding with a supplier, responding to public sector bids, securing investment or commercial lending, successful merger and acquisition activity, seeking to exit or dispose of a business, and listing a business.
“Using industry best practice and technical tools, our global team of experts will provide businesses with the support they need at the time they need it – supercharging their resilience, mitigating emerging threats and delivering external assurance on decision-making.”
