What does the term ‘cyber-security’ mean to you? Chances are it sends a slight chill of uncertainty through your business bones.
The popular paranoid view is that every day an international household name suffers some sort of catastrophic cyber security related loss. If reports are to be believed there are hackers, criminals and rogue states poised and ready to steal and expose your innermost company secrets at the simple push of a button.
The alternative way to look at cyber security is to ignore it. With millions of businesses out there what is the realistic likelihood of some fanatical fundamentalist group genuinely being interested in the payroll data of a small company in rural England? It’s unlikely to happen, so concentrate on doing your business and worry about cyber if and when it happens.
The sensible approach in the centre of this argument, there is a cyber threat, and it is quantifiable. All businesses have data that is of value, from personal information that could be used in an identity theft, through to the company’s intellectual property. Only the business owners and their team can really determine the exact value of this information and thus what loss would be sustained if it were stolen.
So where is the starting point in this sensible middle ground? The Cyber Essentials Scheme is the answer. The Government takes cyber security seriously and in association with industry created the Cyber Essentials Scheme. This allows companies to self certify their IT systems against 5 key areas of security. Low cost, but high impact it’s a simple and straightforward approach maintaining business as usual.
Stuart J Wilkes is Editor Of Cyber Insights for the National Cyber Skills Centre @stuartjwilkes
Read more about the National Cyber Skills Centre and the Cyber Essentials Scheme at www.cyberskillscentre.com