PROACTIVE BUSINESS IT SUPPORT IN SURREY

With 2022 firmly behind us, our IT security expert, Jamie looks back at some of the IT security issues faced by our cybersecurity team and Surrey business clients last year as well as predicting what might happen in 2023.

We’re busy even when we’re quiet here in the IT security department. If we’re not actively working on something for clients, then we’re proactively reading and learning to try and stay ahead of the cyber criminals for you. We have access to multiple sources of intelligence and are constantly monitoring these for information as well as any other alerts we may have set up ourselves.

Zero-day events - Last year we reacted to several zero-day events. These are events relating to a flaw that a vendor or developer has only just learnt about (or have publicly learnt about) which means they have ‘zero days’ to fix it. A zero-day cyberattack is when hackers have managed to exploit the flaw before everyone has had a chance to patch. This results in a race for our IT security team to get everything patched as quickly as possible and over the last 12 months we’ve improved our internal processes and communications to ensure that this happens even more efficiently for you. Microsoft Windows topped the list of these zero-day exploits, but with our Remote Monitoring Management (RMM) software, patching is easy to manage and happens for you in the background out of hours.  

There were also multiple zero-day events for Microsoft Exchange server throughout last year, which were particularly challenging because these patches are never quick to apply and can throw up errors. If your Surrey business is still on an internal exchange server, perhaps this is the year to migrate to 365? 

Firewalls - We updated firewalls multiple times during 2022. In fact, I think almost all firewall manufacturers we look after had a critical firmware release at some point last year!

Mailbox compromises  - 2022 was another year for mailbox compromises. Lots of them. Businesses across Surrey that still hadn’t moved to multi-factor authentication (MFA) found themselves burnt by the cyber criminals of the world. Even if they didn’t lose any money directly during the cyberattack, the shocking realisation that what had just happened wasn’t just an inconvenience, but that stolen data from within the offending mailbox is a real headache and will be a real headache in the months potentially years that follow. That’s without considering speaking to their customers to let them know if any personal data has been stolen, the GDPR implications and dealing with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

So, that’s the key things that happened last year. Now, let’s look forward to what IT security issues there might be in store for us in 2023…

Phishing and Social Engineering is likely to continue its upward curve. It’s one of the most dangerous techniques because it relies on human error rather than technical vulnerabilities. Make sure that your Surrey organisation offers staff cybersecurity training and\or undertakes routine phishing campaigns to better teach them the dangers of this. In fact, this is my number one recommendation for all Surrey businesses in 2023.

With working from home far more common now than ever before, companies in Surrey that haven’t done anything about cybersecurity for their remote workers since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic need to take action, now. Some companies are still using PPTP VPNs; some companies don’t have a secure password policy; some companies would feel that it was okay if a member of staff was to use an old Windows 7 laptop to access the company network to do some work. None of that is okay and so if it’s not something you’ve considered, now is the time.

Zero-day threats will reach new heights. Your Surrey business will need to ensure it's addressing all patches and\or firmware updates in a suitable timely manner. Here at Net Technical Solutions as mentioned earlier, we keep on top of these things and when we see something that needs action, we action!

Breaches will continue to rise and make the news. Making certain all your login accounts are protected by multi-factor authentication (MFA) will ensure that if the hackers do come to posses your username and password, that won’t be enough for them, and they’ll focus on the companies that haven’t set this up. Contact us if you need help setting this up.

Mobile device threats will rise. WhatsApp, Telegram, Teams, LinkedIn etc. are all viable candidates for leverage by cyber criminals. E-mails for example, have certain levels of protection these days, filtering, various DNS (Domain Name System) records, but businesses are communicating in other ways as technology advances. These can create blind spots for IT teams which makes them appealing targets for cyberattacks by hackers. Therefore, your staff and colleagues should only install apps from trusted app stores, don’t root their devices, and be careful which sites they visit.

If you have any questions at all about your IT security, please contact your account manager or e-mail security@ntsols.com.

Looking for a trustworthy, reliable company to provide your business with IT support in Surrey?

As a leading IT Support and managed service provider (MSP) for IT network systems in Surrey, we offer dedicated, round the clock proactive IT support in Surrey to a variety of organisations from accountants to schools and colleges. Our experienced and professional team can help your business with anything from server, PC and network support through to tailored maintenance plans, servicing and emergency support, 

So if you need professional IT support in Surrey for your business, please visit our main IT support page to find detailed information on the IT services we can offer.