CISA Update And What It Means For Your Business.

This year we’ve seen a dramatic turn of events. The recent invasion of Ukraine has got people and businesses talking. This is because we live in the information age, where people, businesses and organisations heavily rely on technology and the internet to work.

CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency), in partnership with the cybersecurity organisations of Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom authored a joint report. They’ve sounded the alarm that there’s an increased risk of cyber attacks and that businesses and organisations both within the borders of Ukraine and beyond should do well to protect themselves from these new potential threats.

In the interconnected age we all live in, it’s far from farfetched to conceive that this new war could include intense cyber warfare. We’ll detail in our summary of CISA’s update to the UK and to the west how businesses and organisations will need to plan ahead, bolster their defences and invest in their security. 

This is especially true for very large organisations, businesses and firms that hold a lot of important and personal data, as in the major cities with financial and business districts around the world, such as London. And getting help with specialised IT support in London, for example, can prove a worthy investment for these institutions following the update.

CISA Updates

What does the CISA update say?

The joint report document was released on April 20 2022 as an alert update. 

The document titled Russian State-Sponsored and Criminal Cyber Threats to Critical Infrastructure describes how the US and its Anglosphere allies released this joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) to warn of the increased threat of malicious cyber warfare both within and outside the Ukrainian borders. The warning is aimed at organisations in particular.

According to the CISA update, evolving intelligence indicates that Russia is exploring potential means for cyber-attacks. Russian state-sponsored cyber operations so far have included distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. And previous operations have included the deployment of destructive malware against the Ukrainian government and critical infrastructure organisations.

What does this all mean for my business?

The alert raised by CISA has implications for all organisations and businesses. You may believe this threat will only affect large organisations, organisations such as monetary or security firms that Russia would more likely be interested in. But research shows that 40% of cyber attacks logged in 2015 were on small businesses.

The type of malicious cyber attacks spoken of in the new update means potential data breaches and the loss of incredibly important and fundamental information, including personal data of individuals, in your business. 

And the threat is very real for all businesses. According to this new update, some cybercrime groups have pledged to support the Russian government. And they’ve threatened to conduct cyber operations in retaliation for perceived cyber offences against the Russian government or the Russian people. Some groups have also threatened to conduct cyber operations against countries and organisations proving material to support Ukraine.

How do I prevent cyber-attacks on my business?

Cybercriminals look to exploit vulnerable networks. They look to the internet to steal confidential information, disable their websites and disrupt organisations, businesses and even countries. These threats are especially relevant in the context of Russia.

Preventing cyber-attacks, especially in times of increased threat like today, requires considering all possible angles. You should:

  • Be aware of possible weak points for entry.
  • Restrict and perhaps prevent access to potentially dangerous websites.
  • Use strong business-wide antivirus software.
  • Review your knowledge and your business’s knowledge of cyber security and determine if outsourcing help would be advantageous.

But preventing your business from malicious cyber-attacks goes deeper than this. These are some of the basic principles. And with the current state of the world and with Russia looking west to retaliate against its current sanctions, going deeper and setting up extra walls of defence could make all the difference for your business. This could include conducting your own research, working with your employees or hiring an IT support business to help.

How can IT support help me?

A big part of IT support today includes beefing up IT security systems to help prevent the increasingly complex nature that is cyber-attacks.

There are lots of great IT support companies. Some of the best IT support is in London, where the largest organisations and firms hold some of the most valuable information in the world. They can implement and manage many different aspects to help you protect your business from malicious attacks. They can also help educate everyone in your business.

Good IT support will help you to understand and manage many aspects of cyber security, including what software to use and keeping it up-to-date, implementing a proper password security policy, backing up and safeguarding the most valuable business information, protecting your business from fraud and massive data loss and making sure all networks are fully secure.

References

  1. https://www.business.hsbc.uk/en-gb/campaigns/protecting-your-business/five-tips-for-protecting-your-business-against-cyber-attacks



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