Vorboss launches Simply Connected to simplify connectivity, IT and cybersecurity management for London businesses

Ransomware is one of the fastest growing cyber-crimes in the world.

Last year, 37% of businesses were victim to an attack.

In case you didn’t know, a ransomware attack is where cyber criminals infiltrate your network (or device) and steal your data by encrypting it. The data is still there, but you can’t access it.

Then they demand you pay a large ransom fee for the encryption key.

If you don’t pay the demand (which can be tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds), they delete your data.It’s not just the cost of the ransom fee to worry about.

There’s the stress, reputational damage and downtime that goes with it.

In 2021, the average downtime suffered after a ransomware attack was 22 days.

Official advice is not to pay any ransomware demands. However, a new survey has shown that a massive 97% of business leaders who’ve experienced a ransomware attack in the past would pay up quickly if they were attacked again

A third of them would pay instantly. What does that tell you about what a nightmare the whole thing is for any business?

The other problem is, when you pay a ransomware demand, it’s not guaranteed that you’ll get your data back.

On average, only 65% of data is restored once a fee is paid

And by letting cyber criminals know that your business pays ransom fees, it’s likely that you’ll face subsequent attacks in the future.

So what’s the best way to deal with ransomware?

First, you should put in place the right security measures to try to prevent an attack:

• Educate your people on cyber security and best practice
• Implement multi-factor authorisation across all your applications
• Use a password manager
• Make sure all updates are installed quickly
• And you should always have a working backup in place – ideally one where older data is retained and cannot be changed

It’s also a great idea to have a response and recovery plan that details what you will do in the event of a ransomware attack.

Not only will it mean your business can respond faster, but it should reduce the amount of downtime suffered as you’ve already considered exactly what needs to happen.

This is what we do! We help businesses increase their cyber security to reduce their chances of being affected.

Get in touch to find out more

Remote and hybrid working is now the norm for a lot of people.

But a recent survey has found that, despite it being more than two years since many of us were forced to work from home, too many businesses still don’t have the right cyber security measures in place for those away from the office.

The survey was originally intended to learn about spending plans from now into next year. However, the results highlighted just how few businesses have the right cyber security protections.

And it’s a worry.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, cyber security incidents – like malware, ransomware, and data breaches – have risen sharply. Cyber criminals began by taking advantage of the panic, and have since developed increasingly sophisticated tactics.

It’s costing businesses around the world billions, plus causing excessive downtime.

While the survey did show that around two thirds of businesses have good web security measures in place, like malware filters, some of the results were more disappointing.

Just 50% of companies have cloud-based cyber security systems in place right now (although 15% are exploring their options).

Cloud security gives businesses multiple layers of protection across their network and infrastructure that helps to keep data better protected against breaches or attacks.

Not only is it a good defence, but it also identifies threats before they become an issue.

The survey also highlighted that 10% of businesses plan to implement access management, which ensures only the right people can access the right systems.

A further 9% intend to prioritise VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) to allow secure network access for remote workers.

They’re also looking at zero-trust solutions where your network assumes every device or connection is a threat, until proven otherwise.

Of course, our advice is that you should already have these security solutions in place – especially if you have remote or hybrid workers.

If not, this is something to take action on quickly.

All you need to do is pick up the phone or send us an email.

We can help!

It’s likely a lot of the applications and software tools you’re using now are different from the ones your business used before the pandemic.

That’s because we’ve all had to make big adjustments to the way we communicate and collaborate.

And to begin with, it may have been hit and miss. It’s possible in the first few weeks and months that your employees had to use whatever tools they had available to them.

Now that we’ve settled into permanent new ways of working, we can pick the software tools that best suit our businesses.

Unfortunately, your employees might not like your choice of which apps should be used within the company. And some of them may continue to use the ones they prefer, despite the security risk that comes with that.

A recent survey found a massive 92% of employees want more control over the software, collaboration tools, and applications they use. And 51% continue to use apps that have been banned by IT departments.

It’s putting business owners in a difficult position.

Blocking apps and software may lead to employees feeling untrusted. This can lead to frustration and lack of motivation. It can really have a negative impact on your business.

But ignoring the issue can be just as bad. Unvetted apps can be a big security risk, leaving your data open to theft and your systems vulnerable to malware.

So what’s the answer?

We’d always suggest having open conversations with your team. It’s a good idea to invite feedback on the software you want to use. After all, your team are the ones using it day-in, day-out.

Take their suggestions on alternatives if the consensus is you’re using the wrong solutions and commit to looking into their viability.

It’s also a very good idea to make sure your team fully understand the risks that come with using unapproved apps, and the impact that can have on a business. You can also enforce what Apps can be used through Machine Management

Even in cases where your team are all sticking to approved tools, keeping them educated on the latest cyber security initiatives is a smart move.

Can we help you find the most secure and suitable communication and productivity tools for your business?

We’ve helped lots of business owners do this. Get in touch.

We’re all familiar with USB. After all we’ve been using it with our computers since 1996, and now with mobile devices too.

Yes… it’s really been that long.

Without USB it would be harder to connect different types of devices, charge them, and transfer data.

Of course, USB has changed and improved over the years. And there’s another new improvement due in the next few months.

What makes this one fun is that you won’t need to buy any new USB accessories or cables.

The USB Promoter Group, which is the industry body that drives USB improvements, recently announced the planned release of USB 4 2.0.

What’s exciting about that, you ask?

This will actually allow you to double the speeds of data transfer on cables you already own – so long as they’re no more than a couple of years old.

This new standard will see a maximum data transfer performance of up to 80GBps. That’s gigabytes per second.

It means displays will perform better and data will transfer faster. Great news to improve productivity in your business.

The USB Promoter Group is made up of tech giants like Microsoft, Apple, HP, and Intel.

Its primary job is to develop USB capabilities to meet the demand of the current market and to extend support for more platform types.

We expect to have an update on USB 4 2.0 in around November.

If you want improved productivity and performance in your business before the end of the year, contact us. There are always ways to make things faster in every business.

Cyber criminals have a reputation for constantly coming up with new ways to scam us into handing over login details or sensitive data.

And while you might think your team would spot an attempted attack, you could be surprised. We’ve seen a lot of intelligent people – including many business leaders – caught out over the years.

One of the latest scams is very retro… and that seems to be why people are falling for it.

Cyber criminals have gone back to basics. They’re sending USB drives in the post.

The packaging and branding on the drives suggests they’re from Microsoft (they are not).

The story is there’s an updated version of Microsoft Office Professional Plus on the drive and it needs to be installed straightaway.

Of course, this is a complete lie. Microsoft has confirmed that these packages aren’t genuine. It’s warning people it would never send out unsolicited packages.

If you plug the drive into your computer it will detect a “virus” and ask you to call a support line.

The scammers at the other end will pretend to remove the virus, gaining your trust. And then they’ll ask for payment details to help complete your subscription setup.

It’s old fashioned, but we can see how the mixture of the physical USB, the belief it’s from Microsoft and the fake support line would be compelling for someone who’s busy and just wants to get back to work.

We’re expecting elaborate, clever attacks through our email. Our guard is down with this mix of events.

Play it safe and warn everyone in your business about this scam.

This is also a good time to review the software and staff training you use to protect your business. You need the right combination of the two… we can help with that.

Get in touch!

There are hundreds of thousands of browser extensions designed to help us to save time, be more productive, and personalise our online experience.

And while the majority of them do what they’re supposed to, some are not designed to help you at all…

If you’re unfortunate enough to download a malicious browser extension without realising, it could harm your productivity and even flood your work with unwanted advertising.

This is known as adware. It’s a form of malware (malicious software) that’s designed to bombard you with unwanted adverts.

It can also change your search engine and send you to affiliate pages when you’re making purchases. These activities generate revenue for the extension’s creators.

In a recent report from a cyber security company, it revealed more than 4 million of its customers have been attacked by adware hiding in browser extensions over the last couple of years.

And often people didn’t realise they were under attack.

There’s a darker scenario where these malicious extensions are hiding actual malware which can infect your computer.

This can lead to sensitive data such as your logins or even payment details being stolen. And of course malware can spread across an entire network.

To keep your business and its data safe from the risk of malicious browser extensions, it’s important you only ever download them from reliable and trusted sources.

Read reviews and look at ratings. If a browser seems too good to be true it probably is.

As the business owner, you might also look into controlling which extensions can be installed by your team.

We can help with this, as well as looking at up-to-date software protection and (fun) security training for your team.