Cyber Security in 2024: How Threats Have Evolved

As we approach the end of 2024, the cyber security landscape continues to shift rapidly, driven by new technologies and more advanced threats. From increasingly sophisticated phishing scams to devastating ransomware attacks, cybercriminals are constantly evolving their tactics. For businesses, this means adopting stronger defenses to stay secure. In this post, we’ll explore how cyber threats have evolved throughout 2024 and how Pearce IT can help safeguard your business with email filtering, backup, and disaster recovery solutions.

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Evolving Cyber Threats in Late 2024

The end of 2024 has brought with it a range of new and heightened cyber security challenges. As businesses continue to adopt digital tools and remote work remains common, attackers have found more ways to exploit vulnerabilities. Let’s look at some of the major cyber threats shaping the landscape today:

1. Advanced Phishing Attacks

Phishing is no longer just about generic, poorly written emails. In 2024, cybercriminals have started using AI to craft personalized and convincing phishing messages. These highly targeted attacks can look like legitimate business emails, making them much harder to detect. As these scams evolve, businesses must have stronger email security measures in place to prevent employees from falling victim.

2. Ransomware Targeting Key Industries

Ransomware has become one of the most significant threats of 2024, with attackers increasingly focusing on high-value industries like healthcare, manufacturing, and energy. These attacks can paralyze operations, leading to costly downtimes and even ransom payments to restore critical systems. Cybercriminals are becoming more strategic in their targets, often looking to disrupt services where any downtime could have severe consequences.

3. Supply Chain Vulnerabilities

Supply chain attacks are becoming more common as cybercriminals look for easier ways to infiltrate networks. By compromising a third-party vendor or service provider, they can gain access to multiple businesses at once. This type of attack is particularly dangerous because it can be hard to detect until the damage is already done. Companies that work closely with external partners need to ensure that their entire supply chain is secure.

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Pearce IT: Protecting Your Business in 2024

As cyber threats continue to grow more sophisticated, businesses need robust solutions to stay protected. At Pearce IT, we understand the critical role that comprehensive cybersecurity plays in today’s world. Our key services—email filtering, backup solutions, and disaster recovery—offer the protection businesses need to defend against modern cyber threats.

1. Advanced Email Filtering

With AI-driven phishing attacks on the rise, your business needs an advanced email filtering system that can detect and block malicious emails before they reach your inbox. Pearce IT’s email filtering service protects against these threats by identifying phishing attempts, malware, and other harmful content. This solution minimizes the risk of your employees falling for fraudulent emails, keeping your business communications secure.

2. Secure Backup Solutions

Data is one of your business’s most valuable assets, and losing it to a cyber attack or system failure can be devastating. Pearce IT provides secure and reliable backup solutions to ensure your data is safe and recoverable. Whether you’re facing a ransomware attack or hardware failure, our backup systems allow you to restore your data quickly and reduce downtime.

3. Disaster Recovery Services

In the event of a major cyber attack, businesses must have a plan to recover quickly. Pearce IT’s disaster recovery services provide a tailored approach to ensure that, no matter the threat, your business can bounce back. From ransomware attacks to natural disasters, our solutions help you resume operations with minimal interruption, giving you peace of mind in uncertain times.

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Looking Ahead to 2025

As we close out 2024, it’s clear that cyber threats will continue to grow in complexity. Businesses need to adopt a proactive approach to security, anticipating potential vulnerabilities and staying one step ahead of attackers. Partnering with a trusted IT provider like Pearce IT can make all the difference.

Our services—email filtering, backup, and disaster recovery—provide a comprehensive shield against the modern threats businesses face today. By investing in these protections now, you can head into 2025 with confidence, knowing your business is prepared for whatever comes next.

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For more information on how Pearce IT can help protect your business from the evolving threats of 2024, visit pearceit.co.uk or email us at hello@pearceit.co.uk. Secure your business now and prepare for a safer digital future.

Your Customer Portal Is Here!

Your Customer Portal Is Here!

We’re pleased to announce that our customer portal is now live! You can now log in to see all your existing and previous tickets, as well as what assets we manage. All you need to do is go to portal.pearceit.co.uk and click Forgotten Password to be sent your login details. If you’d like to see invoices or all tickets raised by your company, please email support@pearceit.co.uk.

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Back to School & Back to Business

September is a time of transition. As students return to school, many businesses are also ramping up after the summer period. Whether you’re preparing your children for the academic year ahead or bringing new employees on board, it’s important to stay organized and well-prepared. This month, we’re focusing on the key areas that might be on your mind: outfitting your kids with the right tech for school and understanding the costs associated with onboarding a new employee.

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Back to School: Getting the Right Technology for Students

With the new school year underway, ensuring that your children have the appropriate technology is vital for their learning. Laptops, tablets, and other digital devices are now central to education, whether for homework, research, or online classes. It might be a good time to assess whether the devices your kids are using are still meeting their needs. If not, considering an upgrade could help them stay on track with their studies.

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Understanding the Costs of Onboarding a New Employee

Hiring a new employee is a significant investment for any business. It’s useful to break down the various costs involved to get a clear picture of what onboarding a new team member truly entails.

1. Recruitment Costs

The first expense to consider is the cost of finding the right candidate. This can include job advertisements, recruitment agency fees, and the time your team spends interviewing and reviewing applicants. These costs can vary, but they are an important part of the process.

2. Salary

Once you’ve found the right person, their salary will be one of your largest ongoing costs. Beyond the base salary, it’s important to consider additional financial obligations such as benefits, taxes, and any potential bonuses.

3. Hardware Costs

Your new employee will need the right tools to perform their job effectively. Typically, this includes:

• Laptop/Desktop: Depending on their role, your new hire might need a specific type of computer. A reliable, well-suited device is essential for productivity.

• Phone: If their role involves regular communication, a phone will also be necessary.

4. Software Licenses

Ensuring your new hire has the necessary software from day one is crucial for a smooth start. Common needs include:

• Microsoft 365: A suite of tools that many businesses rely on for daily operations.

• VOIP Services: Essential for roles that involve client communication, providing a professional and efficient way to manage calls.

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We’re Co Hosting and Exhibiting at the Kingsholm Sterling Expo!

 We’ll be at the next Sterling Expo on the 29th of October at Kingsholm Stadium in Gloucester, come and see us and say hello, and enter our draw for a free bottle of Prosecco!

 Sterling offers several networking opportunities for likeminded businesspeople to do business together over breakfast or a lunch.  To book a space to attend the show please visit https://www.sterlingexpo.co.uk/gloucestershire-29th-october-2024/

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Gloucester Beer Festival

Liam has also been busy helping to organise the Gloucester Beer Festival which is this Friday and Saturday. This is shaping up to be a great event again this year, and it’s in aid of raising money with the Gloucester Quays Rotary Club. The Rotary Club helps raise money for local charities, like Young Gloucestershire and Vision Care. So, if you like to have a drink and help the local community, please come to Gloucester Beer Festival on the 20th and 21st of September.

https://www.gloucesterbeerfestival.com

Best regards,

The Pearce IT Team

Gone Phishing

The #1 Anti-Phishing Solution

In today's business environment, email is the primary mode of communication. Emails can be managed in various ways—shared, archived, multi-user, cloud-based, or on-premises (though increasingly rare). This flexibility allows seamless business communication from both mobile devices and desktops.

Are Email Threats New?

Email usage has evolved, but the threat of phishing remains a persistent issue. Early email users often encountered phishing attempts, such as fake messages from "bosses" or fraudulent offers from "Nigerian princes." Without IT support, individuals manually moved these to Junk or blocked sender domains. This annoyance spurred the development of phishing filters to automatically detect and filter out suspicious emails.

As email threats evolved, so did phishing filters. New attacks emerged weekly, with malware and scams becoming more sophisticated. Phishing filters required constant updates to keep up with these evolving threats, including address spoofing and other attack vectors.

The Modern Email Threat Landscape

Today, phishing attacks have become highly sophisticated. Advanced phishing emails often use fake sender domains and exhibit minimal suspicious attributes, easily bypassing standard phishing filters. These attacks serve as entry points for users to click on convincing fake websites or introduce malware, leading to account compromise and data theft.

Traditional solutions often struggle with zero-day attacks—new, unknown threats. They rely on databases of known threats, making them less effective against new malware. PhishTitan, however, employs AI Predictive Analysis to examine behavioural features of emails and attachments. This approach allows PhishTitan to detect and block zero-day threats in real time.

URL Rewriting and Rerouting in Real Time

PhishTitan rewrites and checks embedded URLs. Safe URLs allow user navigation, while unsafe ones redirect to a blocking page, preventing any potential threat. This feature ensures that users are protected from malicious sites, as harmful links are intercepted by the filter.

While some solutions may block legitimate links, PhishTitan boasts the lowest false-positive rate in the market, ensuring that fewer legitimate emails are mistakenly flagged.

Get Yourself Protected

PhishTitan is easy to use, simple to integrate, and cost-effective. It’s the best choice for securing your email service and protecting your organization from cyber threats. For more information on enhancing your mail security or other IT services with a local Gloucestershire IT company, contact Pearce IT today.

The Science Behind Turning it Off and On Again

We’ve all been there before – having problems with your tech being slow, not responding, or just not working in the way it’s supposed to. The common piece of advice that we’re always told by IT professionals seems to be “just turn it off and back on again”. But is there really any scientific truth to this simple method that seems to work like magic?

Power cycling is the proper term for this solution, usually achieved by holding the device’s power button for a few seconds to force it to turn off or unplugging it from the wall to cut off any power. When you turn off a device, all its running programs and processes are terminated, letting the system reset to a clean slate and potentially stopping any issues that were previously causing problems. Power cycling can help with a wide range of devices, whether it’s your computer itself, your phone, your internet router, or even a device like a printer or photocopier.

When your device has been running for extended periods, it’s not uncommon for performance issues to pop up. This is because as a device runs, it can accumulate temporary glitches such as memory leaks. Furthermore, a device that has been on for a long time may be more likely to overheat. Power cycling can resolve both of these issues by giving your computer a quick break.

Generally speaking, power cycling should be one of your first steps for troubleshooting an issue. Processing issues can be caused by factors such as stuck processes – more specifically, when a system is being slowed down or has crashed because of too many processes happening at the same time, but there’s more to it than that. Power cycling is a versatile solution that can address a wide range of common issues.

1. Speed boost. A simple reboot can clear any ongoing applications and processes that might be slowing down your device, taking up valuable RAM (essentially the device’s short-term memory) space, and helping to improve overall performance.

2. Resetting settings. It’s possible that you may have inadvertently changed several configuration settings in the system or a program, causing your device to perform less efficiently or stop responding. By power cycling, these configurations may be reset back to normal, allowing you to get back to regular performance.

3. Software updates. It’s possible that your device is slowing down because it’s trying to install an update. Many software updates require a reboot to take effect, which can in turn enhance your device’s functionality, performance, and security.

4. Network connection problems. Perhaps the issue isn’t to do with the device’s performance, but its network connection. Power cycling can effectively reset your connection and restore stability.

In many cases, power cycling can be a quick fix to issues such as frozen screens, programs not opening, or devices not being able to connect. Being able to confidently power cycle your devices is a key part of integrating technology into your business, allowing you to save valuable time by fixing what may be a simple issue by yourself instead of calling for a technician or waiting for remote support. Furthermore, by power cycling, you mitigate any potential long-term risks to your device’s performance by nipping small issues in the bud before they develop into more significant problems, such as taking up hard drive space, overheating causing damage to internal components and making them perform less efficiently, or in rare cases, data loss or corruption.

Did you know? Even huge companies such as NASA use power cycling as a simple solution to their tech problems. In 1971 during the Apollo 14 mission, the landing radar was unable to lock onto the moon’s surface to safely land. Mission control told the astronauts aboard the spacecraft to turn off the radar and turn it back on, allowing them to land safely just in time.

There are some cases where power cycling may not be the right solution. Power cycling isn’t a magic solution to every tech problem, as most of us have probably experienced before, it doesn’t always work perfectly. Furthermore, power cycling can cause you to lose unsaved data, or in rare cases, cause damage to system files by not shutting off the device correctly. If possible, it’s always best to turn off your device through the start or home menu, rather than forcing it off by pressing the power button or disconnecting the power. You may also find that it helps to wait for several minutes before restarting your device.

So, next time you reach for the phone to call for support, remember the simple solution of turning it off and back on again that you can easily try for yourself. It may also help to try this several times or try power cycling other connected devices such as the power supply, Bluetooth devices or your internet router.

At Pearce IT, we provide a range of IT support options. 90% of issues can be resolved remotely, so by getting in touch with us, you’ll be saving time and getting your business working again with minimal disruption. We provide assistance with issues relating to internet connectivity, data loss, hardware and software performance, and printing and copying. As always, we are always here to help with your IT problems and will gladly offer advice or assistance regardless of your problem.

You can always log an IT support ticket with us, whenever you need it, whether or not you are a client, and whether or not it’s within office hours, we’ll do our best to get you back on track as soon as possible. https://shorturl.at/lAHY0.

Top Tips for Keeping Your Data Secure

Data loss can have a severe impact on small businesses. Unitrends reports that 94% of companies that suffer severe data loss do not survive for longer than a year. Furthermore, loss of data can damage the trusts your clients have in your business. It’s of paramount importance that your business’s data is kept as secure as possible.

It's not just large, national-scale businesses that are targeted by cyber-crime, however: in December 2021, Gloucester City Council suffered from a ransomware attack that damaged network and online services from Russian hacking group Conti. The incident was estimated to have cost the council £800,000. An attack like this could be a death sentence to your company.

At Pearce IT, we offer cyber security solutions to ensure you will never have to worry about having valuable data stolen. Here are some 4 steps you can follow to make sure your data stays as secure as possible.

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1 - Encryption

Encryption is a way of protecting your data so that it can’t be viewed by anyone except for the intended recipient, such as a specific email address, IP address, or the user of a particular device. Sensitive data, such as about your clients and partners, needs to be stored securely.

At Pearce IT, we provide business grade encryption for your hard drives and portable storage to help your business’s data stay safe.

2 - Anti Malware

Perpetrators of cyber-crime use a range of malware (viruses) to target your data. For example, ransomware is used as a threat to make public or permanently delete or encrypt sensitive information, usually demanding a ransom fee to recover the data. Worms are a type of self-replicating malware that spread through a network, often causing damage to multiple systems, often becoming very expensive to put right.

At Pearce IT, we are partnered with Bitdefender, an award-winning cybersecurity provider designed to keep your data safe from malware. We also offer advanced email filtering that identifies malware in the form of phishing links and malicious programs, eliminating them before they reach your inbox.

3 - Data backups

One of the best ways to protect your data from being stolen or destroyed is with regular backups. Backing up your business’s data is absolutely essential in today’s age, not only protecting it against cyber criminals, but also ensuring your data is kept safe in the event of hardware failure, theft, or destruction such as fire.

Our online backup service is easy and simple to set up, while being ultra-reliable. You can work on files in the cloud 24/7, using any device able to connect to the internet, and what’s more, our hosting servers are encrypted so that none of your valuable data can be accessed by cyber attackers. Business grade backup doesn’t need to be expensive, which is why we offer solutions for as little as £3.50 per month.

4 - PASSWORD PROTECTION

Enabling password protection and two-factor authentication on your devices adds an extra level of security, preventing your data from being accessed by anyone outside of approved users. Using secure passwords longer than 15 characters and containing lowercase, uppercase, numerical, and special characters protects your business accounts or devices from being compromised through a brute force attack. Two-factor authentication ensures that only you can access your account or device, even if someone does get hold of your password.

Our friendly staff team have decades of experience and expertise regarding cyber security. If you’re looking to upgrade your security or need some help setting up two-factor authentication, get in contact with us today, either by giving us a ring on 01452 222000, or using the contact portal on our site https://shorturl.at/lAHY0.

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Using all four of these steps ensures that your data is as safe as possible, meaning you can rest easy knowing your data won’t be stolen any time soon. We also offer cloud support, helping us resolve your IT security issues remotely, reducing your downtime and letting you focus on your sales or services.

If you’re looking to improve your business’s security with one or more of our security solutions, contact us today and we can let you know how we can help.

What does Bristol's Isambard-AI mean for the future of AI research?

Isambard-AI represents a quantum leap in the UK's pursuit of AI research and innovation, firmly establishing Bristol as an epicentre for AI technology development and application. This visionary project aligns seamlessly with the UK's ambition to lead the way in AI.

In a monumental leap towards advancing artificial intelligence (AI) research and innovation, the UK government has chosen Bristol as the home for the groundbreaking AI Research Resource (AIRR), which will soon be known as Isambard-AI. With a substantial £900 million investment commitment, this initiative is set to catapult the South West into the global forefront of AI research and development.

Isambard-AI, named in honour of the legendary engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, is poised to emerge as one of the most potent supercomputers, not just in the UK, but among the leading computational hubs in Europe. This powerful AI research facility, slated to open its doors at the National Composites Centre (NCC) in Bristol next year, is primed to make significant strides in the realm of AI. The new facility is destined to become a national resource, fostering collaboration among researchers and industry experts while driving innovation in AI and scientific discovery. Its applications span a wide array of fields, from automating drug discovery to advancing climate research.

Already a burgeoning hub for AI research and scientific computing, Bristol is uniquely positioned to host this ground-breaking supercomputer. The impending installation of the Isambard 3 supercomputer, slated for later this year, will provide crucial support for AI and machine learning research. Adding to this, the University of Bristol already hosts the UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in Interactive Artificial Intelligence, cementing its status as a leader in AI research. Isambard-AI is envisioned as one of the world's most expansive open AI supercomputers, building upon the University of Bristol's rich legacy of managing cutting-edge computational facilities.

This substantial investment holds the promise of elevating Bristol and the broader West of England to the international stage, solidifying their positions as hotbeds of innovation and collaboration in AI and high-performance computing (HPC).

The National Composites Centre, part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, will be the proud host of Isambard-AI. Katherine Bennett, CEO of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, says, “This investment in Isambard AI is hugely exciting and paves the way for pioneering research with transformational potential.”

In addition to this landmark initiative, the UK is gearing up to host the world's first AI Safety Summit on November 1 and 2. This global gathering will bring together stakeholders from across the world to discuss the risks and rewards of advanced AI systems and chart a course for their responsible development and application.

For us at Pearce IT, Isambard-AI represents an exciting opportunity for collaboration and growth. As AI continues to permeate the IT and telecoms industry, we are excited to see how developments in AI impact technology, and we will closely monitor further developments in AI to find ways to deliver more efficient solutions to your business. We are also eager to hear your thoughts.

Do you love or hate AI?

Is AI diminishing jobs or creating jobs?

There have been lots of developments in the IT and Marketing sector in the last 12 months with the introduction of AI assistants. However, there are roles gaining momentum including prompt engineers, AI content creators, machine learning and deep learning engineers, data scientists, AI chatbot developers, and professionals with model tuning and AI model integration expertise.

There have been worries that AI is going to replace jobs, but currently, there is a need for engineers to support the AI computers.

Upwork is a freelancing platform based in San Francisco that has been monitoring the developing possibilities of AI in business. AI is now the fastest-growing category on Upwork in the first half of 2023, as measured by the total number of individuals hired.

“We’re seeing that businesses are looking for independent professionals on Upwork with expertise in AI tools like ChatGPT, DALL-E, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, Jasper, and more,” Dave Bottoms, who leads marketplace organisation on Upwork said. “These job posts are up 230% in Q2 2023 compared to Q4 2022.”

There seems to be a love-hate relationship with AI for all types of companies.

 Advantages of AI (job creation):

•             New job roles created by AI

•             Enhanced productivity and efficiency in existing jobs

•             Opportunities for upskilling and reskilling

•             Innovation-driven economy

Disadvantages of AI in the job market:

•             Potential job displacement due to automation

•             Inequality in access to new jobs created by AI

•             Ethical concerns regarding job replacement by machines

If used as a tool for brainstorming and improving productivity within companies, then it should be celebrated! However, there is a threat to certain jobs such as copywriting and threats in the education sector due to AI. For example, schools now need to have the tools to check that essays are not being produced by AI.

As some jobs maybe be in decline from AI taking over, there are others appearing, such as prompt engineers and integration expertise.

What do you think about the advancements of AI?

What to look for in an IT services provider

Finding the right IT professionals is crucial in today’s technology-driven world. It’s like finding the perfect recipe for a dish – you want to make sure you have all the right ingredients in the right proportions. Don’t settle for just any IT team. You need professionals who are skilled, experienced, and qualified to handle your specific IT needs. With the right team in place, you can be confident that your systems are secure, reliable, and running smoothly. So, take your time and do your research. Ask for references, check certifications, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Your IT team is an investment in your business, and a good one will pay off in the long run.

Word-of-mouth recommendations

It's always reassuring to receive a recommendation from someone you trust when searching for a company to work with. Nothing beats having a satisfied customer recommend a company to you - it's the ultimate marketing technique! What's great about these recommendations is that they offer an unbiased opinion of the services provided by the company.

At Pearce IT, we're proud to say that we receive a lot of our new business from word-of-mouth referrals. This is a testament to our excellent track record of providing our customers with outstanding service, and we're delighted that they're happy to recommend us to others.

Experience and qualifications

When choosing an IT services provider, it's crucial to do your research on their credentials and experience. Don't hesitate to enquire about their reputation and current qualifications. Given the fast-paced nature of the IT industry, it's imperative that these companies stay current with the latest advancements. So, be sure to select a provider that demonstrates a commitment to staying up-to-date.

Service levels and response times

Having a dependable service provider is a must for any business. It's essential to choose a provider that's accessible and flexible in case of any issues. When server downtime occurs during working hours, a quick resolution is crucial. Therefore, it's vital to select a service provider that's responsive and easy to contact.

To ensure you make the right choice, it's worth checking out customer service reviews. Google Reviews, Trustpilot, and Facebook Reviews are all great sources to consider. If there's a consistently large number of positive reviews, it's usually a reliable indicator that customers are satisfied and willing to give kudos. So, take the time to do your research and make an informed decision that will benefit your business in the long run.

Understanding your business

Does your IT company understand the needs of your business? At Pearce IT we take time to understand our clients to create bespoke services to fit their company’s needs. The worry is that if your IT company does not understand your business you may end up getting overcharged and overcompensated for extra IT Services you don’t need.

Price!

Did you know that bigger support providers can charge up to 25% more? But don't worry, we're a local Gloucestershire Company that values building relationships with our customers and businesses. This is why we offer competitive pricing for our bespoke IT solutions that will seamlessly improve your business operations. Plus, with all your technology needs provided under one roof, you'll save time and money compared to juggling multiple services from different companies. Why not simplify your life and go to an IT one-stop shop?

Our all-in-one IT services provider is easy to handle and will give you peace of mind knowing that your technology needs are taken care of.

If you would like to get in touch to find out more about the IT services we offer, check out our website. Alternatively, you can contact us on 01452 222 000 or hello@pearceit.co.uk

Is your Small Business Cyber secure? And what can happen?

Is your Small Business Cyber secure? And what can happen?

Even if you’re a small business you are still at risk…

Small businesses are 3 times more likely to be attacked by hackers than larger ones.

Barracuda Networks found that employees at small companies saw 350% more social engineering attacks than those at larger ones.

The main attack is Phishing causing over 80% of breaches.

A local example is in fact the Gloucestershire County Council.

What was the cyber-attack on Gloucester City Council?

The initial cyber-attack took place in December 2021

Benefit payments, planning applications and house sales were all delayed when Gloucester City Council was hit by hackers in 2021. A council report has now revealed the Museum of Gloucester is still being affected by the cyber incident.

In fact, in 2022 it was released that Gloucestershire is one of the least cyber-secure counties in the southwest.

Gloucestershire has been named as one of the least cyber-secure counties in the southwest, with over 24,000 cyber-attacks in the last 12 months.

Gloucestershire fell victim to 24,472 cyber-attacks in 2022 with 23,570 of those aimed at micro to small businesses and 903 aimed at medium to large businesses in the county.

The issues we often come across with Cyber security :

Small companies spend less on Cyber security as they juggle expenses. An antivirus programme isn’t enough to over your business. Even small businesses now store data on the cloud so the antivirus application on your computer is just one small layer. You need several more for adequate security measures.

“But it’s only me that runs the business why would they hack my company?”

If you have customers, you hold data such as Credit card numbers, SSNs, tax ID numbers, and email addresses are all valuable. Cybercriminals can sell these on the Dark Web. From there, other criminals use them for identity theft.

Some examples of data they are after are:

•             Customer records

•             Employee records

•             Bank account information

•             Emails and passwords

•             Payment card details

Small businesses can also be a way of access to larger businesses as we all have our wider connections in one way or another. Whether it is through digital marketing services they offer to larger companies, accounting services, or website management.

Often, we find that small businesses are just very unprepared for ransomware attacks. In 2022 about 63% of small business owners actually paid the ransom hoping they would get the key to decrypt the malware from the attackers. But this often either significantly and financially hits the business back or makes them bankrupt.

If you are a small business that is run by employees, you often won’t have time or money to train the employee in cybersecurity procedures. This is where phishing emails often catch out businesses as their employees open them without the correct training knowing what to spot.

Simple procedures such as not clicking links that aren’t trusted or password best practices are simple steps that are sometimes missed in training procedures.

We hope that we have outlined the threats that can arise for your business, and so that we can help you avoid these. We offer an all-in-one IT service consultancy to improve your business’ security to accompany your IT support and disaster prevention.

If you are concerned if your business is safe from cyber-attacks, get in touch and we can create a security and disaster prevention plan, ensuring all your hardware and data are safe. Call us on 01452 222 000 or email us at hello@pearceit.co.uk.

Why do I need 2FA?

Passwords have been the traditional form of account security from around the early 90s, however having one singular method of protection on its own is often inadequate.

Many people still choose to use publicly available information about themselves in part of their password. Information like this can often be found on public social media pages or gathered through methods like innocuous looking online quizzes. Are you guilty of using a pet’s name or an old family name as your password?

Because we all increasingly live our lives online, many people have tens - or even hundreds - of accounts. With different combinations of security and password information, it can be difficult to keep track without dedicated software assistance. The daunting task of tracking all this information means people often resort to using one password for multiple accounts. If someone with bad intentions finds this information, they might have access to a greater and more damaging number of accounts than they would otherwise.

There are a few tried and tested methods of making a password more secure. Making them longer and substituting with special characters can lower the risk your password can be guessed by someone. No matter how secure your password is though, it does little to defend against data leaks or sophisticated cyber-attacks on the services that hold your information. Computer Weekly estimated there were approximately 878 million data records breached in January of 2021 alone.

A better failsafe option, that we like to advocate for, is implementing two-factor authentication, often abbreviated as 2FA. 2FA is being increasingly deployed by organisations that hold sensitive information to stop accounts being accessed in the event of a data breach.

In short, 2FA is an extra layer of protection used to confirm the identity of anyone attempting to access an online account. Most types of 2FA fall into one of three categories;

Information

• An extra question at time of login, usually regarding personal information or answers to secret questions

• A PIN number

An item

• A physical item the owner of the account has in their possession.

• A smartphone, to which a verification code is sent

• A fob, like those commonly used for online banking

You

• Biometric security, checking something physically about the person attempting access

• Fingerprints

• Iris scan

• Voice print

These methods can provide a much greater level of security for your accounts than using passwords alone. A growing number of organisations, especially those dealing directly with finances, like online banks or cryptocurrency traders, are implementing some form of two-factor authentication for the invaluable protection it can provide.

There are a variety of tools and methods for employing 2FA, like SMS text codes or software tokens via an app installed on your mobile or desktop. The security benefits mean it’s always worth talking through which options can be effectively implemented. If you want some help deciding the best method for you and your business, contact Pearce IT today, call 01452 222000.