Defending against cyber attacks

Monday 01 July 2019

After hundreds of people had their login details stolen through a phishing attack on the bus company’s Guernsey and Jersey websites, Stafford Slater, Head of Networks and Security at C5 Alliance, explains how best to ensure your data isn’t exposed through the use of vulnerable websites..

“Where there is data smoke, there is business fire” — Thomas Redman

"At C5 Alliance we believe that data is our clients’ most valuable asset and our role is to help them protect it from those who will inevitably try to take it," said Mr Slater. 

"In the case of cybersecurity our view is that the best form of defence against these types of attacks is to take a proactive approach. Security should be run as a continuous life cycle which consists of:

• Identify key assets
• Protect your data
• Understand and detect threats
• Responding to attacks 
• Recover from incidents 
• Nurturing capability and talent in the cyber security space

"There are a number of things to consider when creating a data protection plan. The obvious choice is ransom protection which ensures the integrity of data and, if the worst should happen, allows it to be recovered. Businesses should also consider how their data is stored and backed up as well as its compliance with GDPR. By covering all these bases they will minimise the recovery time and impact on their business operations.

"95% of cyber security breaches are due to human error. Below are five tips to help reduce the risk of your data being compromised whilst online:

1. Practice good password management and don’t reuse passwords across several sites, use a phrase or sentence you can easily remember or ideally employ a password safe and more complex passwords.
2. Make sure the websites you are using are secure by checking they use HTTPS in the search bar and look for the padlock icon next to the web address, and make sure it is locked for example
3. Be careful what you click on. If there are unexpected or suspicious looking attachments or links don’t click on them
4. Training is essential as the majority of breaches are caused by human error.
5. Seek advice from technology experts. At C5 Alliance security is one of the main services we offer. Ensuring our clients’ data is protected is critical and a top priority for us.