Summer is here and with it comes the period of greatest cyber risk for Spanish companies. The combination of holidays, teleworking and increased use of mobile devices increases the surface area for cyberattacks. This leads to cybercrime increasing by up to 30% during this summer period, according to SecurIT.
Avoid cyber attacks this summer
For this reason, the IMMUNE Technology Institute technology training centre has developed five key recommendations that will help reduce the risk of cyberattacks on companies during the holiday months.
- Keep software and systems up to date. Keeping software and systems up to date is a critical responsibility of businesses. Ignoring updates can have serious consequences, including exposure to cyber threats that could put sensitive information and business reputation at risk. Updates not only fix security vulnerabilities, but can also improve software performance, stability, and compatibility.
- Ensuring secure connections when working remotely. With the arrival of summer, teleworking is encouraged and with it, the risks that this entails. For this reason, it is essential to offer basic training to the worker, such as saving their information on different devices, changing passwords regularly and being cautious with links from unknown websites or emails. It is also important to ensure that the home Wi-Fi network has a strong password and to keep the software updated at all times.
This alarming situation highlights the need for organizations to prepare to face these threats effectively.
- Raise awareness and prevent employees. Training employees to recognize scams and malicious files is essential for corporate cybersecurity. Clear and constant communication is key to keeping them informed about the latest threats. With the advancement of AI, these scams seem more and more real. A practice that is becoming more common every day is the call or video call from a boss asking for a money transfer. For this reason, raising awareness among employees, defining and sharing a protocol to avoid these threats, and sending recurring reminders are some of the measures that will help employees have the necessary tools to detect these cybercrimes.
- Make backups regularly. Backups are a fundamental pillar for the security of any company. Ignoring them can lead to serious consequences, such as the total loss of crucial business information. To avoid such situations, it is essential to make regular and automated backups. There are various options available, such as cloud services or external hard drives. The important thing is to choose a safe and reliable method that suits the needs of your company.
- Implement anti-phishing measures. Phishing has become an increasingly common practice in cyber scams. According to a CISA report, more than 80% of workers fall for this type of trap, and only 13% of those affected report it to their employers.
With all these tips, companies can have a safer summer. “It is essential that companies start investing in cybersecurity. Most Spanish companies do not have a mature and defined plan against cyberthreats. It is a priority for these entities to raise awareness among their employees and create a protection plan,” explains María Riesco, cybersecurity expert and director of the cybersecurity master’s degree at IMMUNE Technology Institute.
