How Does The Russian War Effect Your Businesses Cyber Security?

8th March 2022

The devastating news of the Russian war has shaken almost every nation around the world. The effects of the invasions are apparent in the news and articles flooding our inboxes and timelines.�

The effects of the Russian and Ukrainian crises are devastating and are having global effects on individuals and on businesses.�

Cyber security concerns?

As a result of the financial restrictions surrounding the war, there has been a surge in Russian cyber security attacks (approximately up 800% in 48 hours).

The forms of cyber attacks that are to be expected no one can say 100%, but it is important for businesses to be aware of the main ones to look out for.

Ransomware
Malware
Advanced persistent threats (APTs)
Denial of Service attacks (DDoS)
Network attacks

How can your business prepare?

There are a few ways your business can be prepared and take extra precautions to ensure your data is safe during these unprecedented times.

As a business, you should have cyber security insurance cover, so the first port of call, check the level of cover. You need to know exactly what your business insurance covers in terms of cyber security and breaches. If your insurance policy does not cover this area, now is a good time to add it.�

Outside of the current situation, data breaches and cyber attacks can occur at any time, and having some sort of insurance and protection in place is crucial for any business!

Astaris wants to help support businesses during these difficult times. If you’d like us to look over your cyber insurance to ensure you are meeting your security liabilities, we would be happy to help.

Update your systems

Your network is one of the assets that can make you particularly vulnerable. Ensuring that your business-critical software has the latest updates ensures you have the best security available.�

Running software such as Windows 7 or Office 2010 puts you at a much greater risk as they have not had any sort of updates in years, leaving them wide open to updated and more intelligent malware and viruses.

Patching any internet-facing networks (anything connected to the internet, printers, PCs, etc…) also requires updating and should be monitored. Alert systems are also something to be aware of, although they can be annoying when alerts are constantly coming through (and we may be tempted to turn them off) we should be ensuring that they are on and are updated.�

Prepare for the worst

We should always hope for the best outcome, but preparing for the worst is sometimes the best option. Ransomware and data destruction is a worst-case scenario for any business, and the results can be devastating, that’s why businesses should put prevention methods in place.�

Ransomware is one of the most devastating forms of attack a business can face. Stolen data can be extremely difficult to recover from, and even if a ransom is paid, there is a chance you may never get your data back.

Ransomware protection is a great way to prevent an attack (Astaris are also Datto partners, meaning in the extremely rare event that your data is stolen it is completely backed up and can be restored). Paired with email spam filtering to stop suspicious emails from entering your inbox it’s the perfect solution. Remember, prevention is always better than a cure.

The rundown

All in all, updating all your software and systems will optimise existing security. Additional security measures should definitely be considered at this stage and with the increased risk of attacks, ransomware and other security protection services should be invested in by companies that can.

If you would like any advice on which cyber security measures are most appropriate for your business or would like your cyber liability insurance checked to see what you are actually covered for, please contact Astaris on 01273 940000 or email support@astaris.co.uk.