Cyber security is like owning a good car

How many safety features does a modern car have to protect you? Seatbelts, airbags, crumple zones, intelligent sensors, insurance and a trained operator.

If you had the choice would you pick and choose which features protect you? Thinking you are not likely to crash, you might not feel the need for all these extras like the airbags and seat belts. It sounds silly to even think about it because we know that these protections are there to reduce the chance of serious harm to ourselves and others. What’s more, we know they are proven to work and so it makes sense to have all the features available to feel safe and secure.

So why should our approach to cyber security be any different?

Cyber security is not one single thing, like protections in a car it is multiple and while some are standard like seat belts others vary or are an upgrade such as how intelligent your car is and if it can brake quickly before a collision happens. In cyber security, we have the standard antivirus and firewall protection however they are just two things and only offer limited protection.

How do you feel about drivers who have not passed a driving test yet? They might know how to operate the car but do they know how to do it safely and the rules of the road? With computers, we tend to just start using them, get online and work without learning how to do it safely, and like the highway code gets updated as does how to stay safe online. Having an awareness of dangers makes it easier to spot them and know how to react either to avoid the danger or reduce how much it is going to hurt.

And then there is the biggest cost when driving, insurance, we don't like to pay for something we don't use and even worse we pay more to cover those who think they can get away without getting their insurance. You might cheap out and just get third party cover however that does not cover you, it won't fix your car, and it won't help you if you are hurt. Insurance in IT comes in two parts, protecting data from loss with backups and cyber insurance to help the clean up after an incident. Both of these are important for different reasons but both ultimately are there to save your business.

How many protections do you have for your business? How much would it hurt if you crashed? And what are you going to do to reduce that?

Four out of ten businesses (39%) and just over a quarter of charities (26%) report having cyber security breaches or attacks in 2021, estimated to cost on average around £8,460, according to Government data. Size of business doesn’t matter when it comes to cyberattacks either, small businesses are at just as much risk as larger organisations, although typically they have fewer protection measures in place.

Cyber security threats include phishing attempts mostly. As many as one in five businesses reported being attacked weekly in 2021, with 39% identifying more sophisticated attack types such as a denial of service, malware, or ransomware attack.

Does your current cyber security offer you the protection your business needs to operate safely online? If you are unsure and need help, contact us for a consultation.

John Fisher

Meet John Fisher, founder of Westway IT, passionate about helping businesses thrive with technology. With a BSc in Computer Science, he values integrity, education, and quality relationships. Active in The Tech Tribe and CompTIA, John simplifies IT and creates scalable strategies. Connect with him on LinkedIn.