Watch a cyber attack at our FREE event & ensure your business is cyber safe!
- Does your business truly understand what a cyber-attack looks like?
- Do you know what impact this could have on business downtime?
- Are you aware of the financial impact of this on your business?
- Would you know if you have been hacked?
- Do you know how to get your business back up and running?
In the UK there are 4,500 successful daily cyber-attacks on SMEs. If this happened to your business, would you be prepared?
Do you know what a ransomware attack looks like and what it would do to your business? This is just one of the different types of cyber-attack that could happen to your business at any time. It is more a case of “when” rather than “if” your business will be subject to a threat.
We work in partnership with Datto to provide business continuity and disaster recovery solutions at a price affordable to SMEs.
We would like to invite you to join us for Bite Online, our free webinar on Thursday 26th November 2020, between 2pm and 3pm. Experience a live demo of a ransomware attack, then listen to guest speakers from Datto talking about how to have your business back up and running in a matter of minutes.
All attendees will also get access to a Downtime Cost Calculator which can be used to get an understanding of what an outage could mean to your business.
#cybersecurity #wemakeithappen #boweforit
Phishing is a form of cyber attack where attackers attempt to trick users into doing ‘the wrong thing’, such as clicking a bad link that will download malware, or direct you to a website which may look identical to the original website, but may harbour spyware or be designed to collect your personal or financial information. In 2018 alone, phishing was responsible for $48,241,748 (£37,232,981.11) in losses.
Phishing can be conducted via a text message, social media, or by phone, but the term ‘phishing’ is mainly used to describe attacks that arrive by email. Phishing emails can reach millions of users directly, and hide amongst the huge number of benign emails that busy users receive. Attacks can install malware (such as ransomware), sabotage systems, or steal intellectual property and money.
Phishing emails can hit an organisation of any size and type. You might get caught up in a mass campaign (where the attacker is just looking to collect some new passwords or make some easy money), or it could be the first step in a targeted attack against your company, where the aim could be something much more specific, like the theft of sensitive data. In a targeted campaign, the attacker may use information about your employees or company to make their messages even more persuasive and realistic. This is usually referred to as spear phishing.
What does a Phishing email look like?
In this example above, we can see an email purporting to be from OneDrive, advising that there is a file which has been sent through to the user. Clicking the link in this email will result in malware being installed on your system. This is a common method of phishing where the attacker creates a message which would not look out of place amongst your normal work emails.
In this example above, we can see that an attacker has sent out an email attempting to get users to click the link and enter their Apple ID credentials. This may look convincing upon first glance, but as we look into it further, we can see that it is clearly not a genuine email. The combination of a non-apple email address being used to deliver the message, a generic and non-personalised greeting and the link pointing to a destination which has nothing to do with Apple are clear giveaways.
This example is one of the most common variants of a phishing email. On the surface, it looks pretty convincing – the branding is correct, the sign off seems correct and the look of the email seems legitimate apart from the recipient’s name. The only way you would be able to tell that this is not a legitimate email is to check the link in the email by hovering over it. In this case, it brings you to a false logon screen which is designed to steal your password. Another giveaway can be the email address that the message has originated from. Unless it is an @netflix.com (NOT @mailer.netflix.com or similar) email address, chances are it’s a phishing attempt.
Another common type of phishing email is what is commonly known as ‘change of bank details fraud’ or ‘invoice fraud’. This involves a fraudster posing as a member of the accounts department of a supplier. The fraudster creates a convincing looking email and advises that their bank details have changed with the aim of getting you to make payments to the new account.
In order to avoid scams such as this, it is essential that you work on a basis of distrust when it comes to financial matters. If you are contacted out of the blue by a supplier to advise that their bank details have changed, call the customer on their official number (not the number in the email) and confirm this. If you receive an invoice that doesn’t seem quite right or that comes from a different email address, call the customer and check. It is better to be overly cautious than reckless – especially when bank details are involved.
So how can we avoid becoming a victim of these sorts of attacks?
Firstly, we suggest treating every email with a degree of suspicion. Think about the following:
- Is the sender’s email address correct? Often attackers use similar email addresses to legitimate senders so it is best to check this very carefully
- Were you expecting this message?
- Are there any ‘red flags’ such as spelling mistakes, incorrect information or suspicious attachments?
- Is there a request for payment or for you to sign in using your password?
- Does the message have a threatening tone? For example, does it advise that unless you take action immediately there will be severe consequences?
- Do you use the product which is mentioned?
- Is the email from someone you know and communicate with regularly?
When in doubt, it is always better to be safe than sorry. If the email purports to be from someone you know, call them and check that it is a legitimate message. If it appears to be from your bank or a government department, call them on the correct number and confirm (NOT the number in the email you have received, but the number from their official website).
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References:
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/phishing
https://it.sheridancollege.ca/service-catalogue/security/images/phishing-samples/amazon-phish.jpg
https://resources.infosecinstitute.com/category/enterprise/phishing/#gref
https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/vendor-email-compromise-vec/
Header image credit – https://www.freepik.com
One of the big themes that will dominate the digital world in 2018 will be the need to improve security against cyber attacks, according to North East specialists Bowe Digital.
The UK attracted more than 2,200 new inward investment projects in 2016 to 2017 with more than 107,000 jobs across the country safeguarded or created, according to new figures.
Figures published by the Department for International Trade revealed that the UK attracted more foreign direct investment projects than ever before for the year.
With more than 2,200 projects recorded, the post-referendum figures show an increase of 2% on the previous year. The data also shows that 75,226 new jobs were created, and 32,672 safeguarded, amounting to over 2,000 jobs per week across the country.
Overall, the UK is the number one destination for inward investment in Europe, with the technology, renewable energy, life sciences and creative industries all seeing an increase in the number of projects.
International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox, said: “Almost one year on since the EU referendum, the UK continues to attract record levels of inward investment and remains extremely attractive to foreign investors.”
We agree. Digital technology is playing its part every day and our clients are benefitting from the use of IT to develop new projects and improve the efficiency of existing ones.
Bowe Digital offers a range of IT solutions that can help businesses take advantage.
Call us on 0191 214 1750 or email info@bowe.co.uk to find out how.
Bowe Digital – we make I.T. happen
Three quarters of businesses expect to increase the number of high-skilled roles over the coming years, according to the 2017 CBI/Pearson Education and Skills Survey.
The survey of 344 companies highlighted that 62% are seeing strong competition for candidates with appropriate qualifications.
Asked about the impact of the introduction of the £2 billion apprenticeship levy, 58% of firms plan to increase apprentice programmes.
Josh Hardie, CBI Deputy Director-General, said: “Skills have to be the beating heart of the UK’s Industrial Strategy – it’s the best growth strategy a country can have. More high-skilled opportunities are good news for our future – and a sign we can make progress on productivity – but this is tempered by the growing urgency around skills shortages.”
We agree that skills development is crucial, including in the digital sector where we see plenty of opportunities for young talent. For our part, we will do all we can to develop talented people.
Bowe Digital offers a range of IT solutions that can help businesses take advantage.
Call us on 0191 214 1750 or email info@bowe.co.uk to find out how.
Bowe Digital – we make I.T. happen
Growth in the UK’s private sector slowed in the three months to June, according to the latest CBI Growth Indicator.
The survey of 762 respondents across the distribution, manufacturing and service sectors showed the balance of firms reporting a rise in output at +6%, compared with +13% in the three months to May 2017.
However, private sector firms expect growth to pick up over the next three months and we support that viewpoint. This is a time for calm heads.
The many companies we work with are expressing confidence that trading conditions, while challenging, do remain positive.
We are playing our part, offering a range of IT solutions that can help businesses take advantage of the digital revolution.
Call us on 0191 214 1750 or email info@bowe.co.uk to find out how.
Bowe Digital – we make I.T. happen
Private sector growth eased in the three months to May, according to the CBI’s latest Growth Indicator, but the prognosis for the summer is good.
The survey of 721 respondents across the manufacturing, distribution and service sectors showed that growth slowed a little in comparison to April.
Manufacturing output continued to record expansion, with the retail sector and consumer services gaining a little momentum following a lacklustre start to the year.
Overall, expectations are for the pace of growth in the private sector to pick up a little over the next three months with healthy growth in manufacturing and business and professional services off-setting a slowdown in retail and falling volumes in consumer services.
That is reflected in what we are hearing from our clients, who are expressing confidence despite the turmoil in the world.
Bowe Digital offers a range of IT solutions that can help companies streamline their manufacturing processes in everything from quality control to stock management to make the very best use of the prevailing conditions.
Call us on 0191 214 1750 or email info@bowe.co.uk to find out how.
Bowe Digital – we make I.T. happen
If the recent global ransomware attack taught us anything, it is that everyone needs to be vigilant when it comes to cyber-security.
Among those issuing warnings was the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) who urged business people not to make the mistake of assuming only big business is at risk.
The federation is warning small businesses in the UK to take urgent steps to protect themselves.
Dave Stallon, commercial director at FSB, said: “We are raising the alarm with the UK’s 5.5 million-strong small business community. It is vital that small businesses and the self-employed prioritise this and that they do it today.”
We agree. In addition to offering a range of IT solutions that can help businesses take advantage of the digital revolution, Bowe Digital can also advise on your cyber security.
Call us on 0191 214 1750 or email info@bowe.co.uk to find out how.
Bowe Digital – we make I.T. happen
The evidence continues to build that the UK economy has shrugged of the many challenges facing the world to continue trading and growing.
Among the latest data was a survey that showed that manufacturing order books improved on April, and output growth accelerated in the three months to May.
The CBI’s latest Industrial Trends Survey of 432 manufacturers reported that total order books were the highest since February 2015, broadly matching the strong levels seen earlier this year. Export orders also stayed robust, equalling the level seen in March (itself, the highest level seen since December 2013).
Output growth picked up pace, seeing the fastest rise since December 2013. This was underpinned by the mechanical engineering and chemicals sectors. Firms expect another firm rise in production over the coming quarter.
Rain Newton-Smith, CBI Chief Economist, said: “The summer sun has come out early for Britain’s manufacturers. Robust demand at both home and abroad is reflected in strong order books, and output is picking up the pace.
“Boosting productivity is key to alleviating some of the cost pressures that manufacturers are facing. Sustained investment in innovation and education will be vital to shore up the success of British industry.”
In the survey, 26% of manufacturers reported total order books to be above normal, 22% of firms said their export order books were above normal and 41% of businesses said the volume of output over the past three months was up.
We see that confidence reflected among the companies that we help. We believe that digital technology is playing its part to support this continuing growth and our clients are benefitting from the use of IT to develop new projects and improve the efficiency of existing ones.
Bowe Digital offers a range of IT solutions that can help businesses take advantage.
Call us on 0191 214 1750 or email info@bowe.co.uk to find out how.
Bowe Digital – we make I.T. happen
Confidence among UK small firms has risen to the highest level in more than a year, according to the latest Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Small Business Index (SBI).
The SBI stands at 20.0 in Q1 2017, the highest figure since Q4 2015, and up considerably from the -2.9 recorded after the EU referendum.
According to the federation, the strong recovery has been spurred by increased international trade with a net balance of 15.6% of small firms reporting a rise in export activity during the past three months, with a net balance of 30.5% expecting international sales to increase over the next quarter. Both figures are at their highest level since the SBI began.
Mike Cherry, FSB National Chairman, said: “It’s hugely encouraging to see our small businesses trading more overseas, driving an exports-led recovery.”
We see that growing confidence every day among the companies with which we work and we believe that digital technology is playing its part to support continuing growth, and Bowe Digital offers a range of IT solutions that can help businesses take advantage.
Call us on 0191 214 1750 or email info@bowe.co.uk to find out how.
Bowe Digital – we make I.T. happen