beat the rising tide of cybercrime

Essential action needed to beat the rising tide of cybercrime

Now is the time to apply for Cyber Essentials vouchers

Brazen criminals are out to wreak havoc and steal from Scottish businesses – but locks, alarms and other physical security measures won’t be able to protect your organisation from the growing scourge in cybercrime.

It takes a different kind of approach to beat the rise in digital attacks – and the good news is, support is out there to help businesses protect themselves from hack attacks.

SMEs in Scotland can tap into a £1000 grant to help them fight back and protect their data, assets, integrity and reputation from hackers and the damage that cyberattacks cause.

Collectively, small firms are subject to almost 10,000 cyberattacks a day, according to research by the Federation of Small Business (FSB), with the average cost of an individual attack reported at £1300.

One in five (20%) small firms say a cyber-attack has been committed against their business in a two year period. The annual cost of such attacks to the small business community is estimated to be £4.5 billion, with the average cost of an individual attack put at £1,300.    

The study found that more than 7 million individual attacks were reported over a two year period, the equivalent of 9,741 incidents a day.

The evidence is there in black and white, with these findings the latest to back up the sheer scale of the dangers being faced by businesses day in and day out.

Cyber Essentials accreditation places a vital focus on what you need to know – and what you need to look out for to protect digital activity and understand vulnerabilities and weak points.

Scottish Enterprise’s funding pot is a great opportunity to be supported towards gaining a Government-backed, industry-supported scheme to help organisations protect themselves against common online threats. It is suitable for all organisations, of any size, in any sector.

If your business holds any data, whether it is employee data, suppliers’ information or customer marketing records, the benefits of increased cyber security and data compliance alone make it worthwhile.

It’s backed by industry, including the Federation of Small Businesses and the CBI. Some insurance organisations offer incentives for businesses that have it.

The Government requires all suppliers bidding for contracts involving the handling of certain sensitive and personal information to be certified against the Cyber Essentials scheme. Carrying the Cyber Essentials logo on business documentation shows others that your business takes cyber security seriously.

It also means you won’t be left behind when tendering for new business – Cyber Essentials is almost a badge of honour and it’s becoming increasingly sought after in tender processing. Partners Cyber Essentials credentials can prove their cyber resilience and compliance.

Find out more about the voucher scheme – a chance for your business to gain up to £1000 to help improve cyber security in your business – here:

https://www.scottish-enterprise.com/learning-zone/business-guides/components-folder/business-guides-listing/keep-your-business-cyber-secure 

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