Minimise your business IT risk

In the 48 hours between the Covid-19 lockdown being announced and beginning, businesses had just hours to transfer their entire teams and operations to home environments, with many having to think fast and be agile to keep operating during level 4.

New Zealand businesses plan for natural disasters or theft, but dealing with a global pandemic is a new experience for everyone.

In an ideal world, shifting to working from home and putting flexible working arrangements in place is planned for – to minimise risk, keep businesses safe and protect them from hackers, malware attacks and security threats.

Now is a great time to consider what worked well (and what didn’t) during lockdown, and what needs to be done to keep your business, and technology, safe and secure in our new normal.

Why are small businesses vulnerable?

Did you know it can take a business anywhere from three to seven days to resolve a ransomware attack?

In some cases, businesses never recover.

While all businesses can be attacked, small to medium size Kiwi businesses are increasingly being targeted by hackers and cyber-criminals.

Recently two New Zealand fashion companies have had their Instagram accounts hacked, and in one case it is now gone forever.

Smaller organisations are singled out as they are less likely to have robust IT policies in place. One attack can destroy confidential data, intellectual property and cause considerable business disruption.

Poor password security is one of the main methods cybercriminals use to gain access to technology systems.

The most common security threats are: Ransomware: This is one of the most common forms of attacks. The software encrypts files so they cannot be opened.

Brute force attacks and hacking: An automated attack by attempting many thousands of logins until they get the one that works.

Email compromise: An attacker gains direct access to an email account, to use it for their own purposes, often as the base for other attacks or scams.

Phishing scams: This is when an attacker tries to trick a person into giving them sensitive or private information, often by disguising themselves as a trustworthy entity.

Spyware: Software attaches itself to a computer and reports on what you are doing without your knowledge – reporting usernames, passwords, websites visited etc.

Data breach: This is the intentional or unintentional release of secure, private, or confidential information to an unsecured environment – usually the public.

Adapting to our new normal

If we go into lockdown again, are you ready? How much effort would it take for you and your team to revert to remote working? More people also want to work flexibly. Now is the time for businesses to leverage what they

have learnt over recent months and make some permanent changes.

Data and applications can be hosted off-site or in the cloud. VoIP phones can be unplugged and taken home, providing seamless service. Along with laptops, check your team has access to a decent monitor, keyboard, and a mouse. Show them how to keep their data, passwords and information safe. We believe technology enables businesses to run better and be more proactive. Good planning and communication can make a big difference in how wellprepared and resilient a business is when a crisis strikes.

By being prepared, you can take good care of your staff, customers, and suppliers – harnessing technology to communicate with them and keep working even during unprecedented times like these.

Mark Ternent of GTB Solutions works with doctors practices, accountants and many businesses throughout New Zealand. He’s keen to educate businesses on how to reduce risk, protect

business IP, and adapt.