Cyber security is in the news a lot these days ...
If it's not musings over whether the United States elections and communications were hacked, it is articles in the mainstream media citing that cyber security is at the top of the list of concerns for directors and senior executives in the modern business environment.
I know a number of people who have inadvertently downloaded Trojans and viruses by clicking on email attachments.
There is also the prevalence of spam. If they were all true I have inheritances and unchecked Lotto tickets ready for collection all over the world and can confirm that I am a direct descendant of the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and a key to the Nigerian mint and all its gold bullion awaits.
And who hasn't had a friend who will send out a blanket Facebook: "I've been hacked ... don't respond to anything I do on FB" type message. Pity they don't declare what they clicked on.
Being hacked ain't pretty and with social media being everywhere it can be pretty embarrassing (refer last week's article), so it helps to know that there are people who can assist with preventing these issues.
Enter Computercare, who will be delivering a seminar on this very topic next Tuesday, February 28, in the Cooks Gardens function room from 3.30pm.
For business owners and staff (even everyday users of PCs, phones and tablets), they have a compelling story to tell about what is happening in the cyber security space. Even more compelling is their knowledge of just what nefarious cyber criminals are up to.
I won't spoil their presentation but, suffice to say, after hearing the seminar you will think differently about your devices and how - and even where - you use them.
The drive for convenience and accessibility has opened up opportunities for you and your staff to be targeted and attacked by cyber criminals. And just because a cyber-attack on your business hasn't happened, it doesn't mean that it won't.
In terms of risk management it is also important to understand how effective your controls are. For example, do your back-ups work? And; if we are hacked or lose vital information are we insured?
Governments around the world are taking the matter seriously. Just last week the Queen opened a centre dedicated to tracking and prosecuting cyber-crime as Britain recognises that we live in a changing environment which requires innovative ways to protect the economy from criminal activity.
But an article in the New Zealand Herald last week highlighted that we, the human users of technology, are the weak link. Which is why education is key for both future vigilance and protection.
Phishing (the attempt to obtain sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details, often for malicious reasons, by disguising as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication) and Ransomware make up 69 per cent of cyber crime. So I'd recommend spending a couple of hours with Computercare next week - contact Computercare to RSVP at sales@computercare.co.nz