Top 3 ways to help your customers combat real-time cybersecurity threats

However, using on-premises servers mean your customers face the risks of unavoidable damage caused by natural disasters, on-prem security attacks and any additional costs required to set up, host and maintain the server – often resulting in cloud computing being an easier, safer and more cost-effective way to store your data.

That isn’t to say that cloud security is bullet-proof, but a 2017 Cloud Security Report undertaken by Alert Logic, found that on-premise users experienced more cyberattack incidents than those using cloud service providers; a whopping 348,315 versus 133,701 to be precise.

So, when talking your customers, it’s important to discuss the risks of cybersecurity and the importance of making a security solution a key priority for the business. Let’s tackle the security risks associated with the cloud and how to combat these for your customers:

Email-borne Attacks

Email-borne attacks are evolving, meaning your customers security strategy needs to as well. Phishing and spear-phishing is on the rise, making suspicious emails the number one threat to organisations around the world. According to the Verizon Data Breach Report, incidents of email breaches have increased to 96%. With organisations relying heavily on email to be available and accessible, ineffective security solutions and human error are putting SMBs at risk.

To help your customers avoid email-borne attacks, it’s important to practice the following:

• Provide your customers with the facts for them and their employees e.g. what types of emails look suspicious
• Deploy an effective security solution for your customers that detects viruses, etc
• Keep your customers systems up to date with the latest security patches and updates
• Install a cyber security solution for them should a suspicious email make it through the spam filters
• Install a mobile security solution for your customer such as EM+S to help protect company devices from cyber threats

Ransomware and Malware

Malware is a type of cyber attack that tricks your customers into installing software that allows the scammers to access your customer files and track what they’re doing. Ransomware is a more advanced, malicious attack that restricts access to the computer system until a ransom fee is paid to the scammer.

Malware attacks step out of the email-borne zone and can attack your customers business from other platforms such as social media messages, pop ups and material downloads.

To avoid your customers falling victim to malware and ransomware attacks, prepare them with the following:

• Educate your customers on what suspicious attachments in emails or social media messages may look like
• If your customers believe they may have fallen victim, show them how to use their security software to run a virus check to see if the computers security has been compromised
• Keep your customers systems up to date with the latest security patches and updates
• Ensure they have a BCDR (Business Continuity Disaster Recovery) plan in place should the worst happen, letting them know how much business downtime could occur.

Data Loss and Backup

When running a successful business, having a data loss and backup strategy is one of the main priorities. No matter what industry your customers are in, ensuring their files are safely stored and backed up is key.

One of the most trusted and well-known strategy is the 3-2-1 backup rule. The 3-2-1 backup rule works off the concept that data should be stored in three different places to avoid any potential data loss. This includes:

1. One copy stored on an internal hard disk drive (PC/Desktop/Laptop)
2. One copy backed up on removable storage media (USB/External HDD/SD Card/On-Premises Server)
3. One copy backed up off-site, in the cloud

Help your customers by executing this strategy and providing them with the right tools for the job:

• Explain to your customer the benefits of using cloud backup solutions to help meet regulation compliance requirements
• Supply your customers with the appropriate cloud backup solutions

We hope we’ve helped both you and your customers more aware of the security risks associated with both cloud and on-premise environments, providing you with the appropriate tools to keep your customers safe. To find out more about the security and backup solutions available, visit our services page or contact our Account Management team on 0333 332 0888.