Cybercrime

Hey there, tech-savvy warriors!

Let’s dive into a topic that often lurks in the shadows but deserves our full attention: cybercrime. I know, I know, it’s not the most thrilling subject to discuss over a cup of coffee, but trust me, it’s essential for all startups, entrepreneurs, and business owners out there.

Now, you might be thinking, “Cybercrime? Nah, not my cup of tea.” Well, my friend, it’s time to face the music. Did you know that cybercrime costs the world a mind-boggling $600 billion each year? It’s a staggering amount that keeps on growing like an overzealous garden gnome. In fact, cybercrime ranks third on the list of crimes with global impact, right after government corruption and narcotics. Quite the infamous achievement, don’t you think?

Picture this: you’re surfing the web, minding your own business, when suddenly, bam! Your personal data gets stolen and every password you have ever saved in your browser is no being analysed by someone in a country you cannot pronounce. It happens to two-thirds of online users, and chances are, you probably know someone who’s gone through this digital nightmare. The culprits often remain nameless and faceless, roaming the digital world like phantoms. They never face arrest or jail time, nor do they return the loot they snatched from unsuspecting victims like you.

Speaking of targets, South Africa takes the spotlight on the global Cyber Exposure Index. Yep, we’re number six on the hit list of cyber attacks, with big businesses feeling the heat. It’s like being the popular kid in the cybercrime world because almost nobody trains their employees on issues like social engineering or not to click those funny links in a strange email form people they have never heard of before.

Now, let’s address the elephant in the server room—COVID-19. The pandemic has opened the floodgates for online criminals since more and more people are working from home or connecting to work using a VPN. This gives criminals a golden opportunity to wreak havoc since hacking a home router is much easier than breaking the office server firewall, you do have a firewall right? It’s a virtual cat-and-mouse game, where the mice (that’s us) end up with compromised bank accounts, or even worse, they intercept and change invoice information so your clients pay money into a criminal’s back account! Yes, that happens more than you think and most of the time, the people sending those invoices does not even have basic security like a premium Antivirus.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and unfortunately, the chances of falling victim to these cyber shenanigans have skyrocketed, especially when we’re all feeling the pinch of joblessness and uncertainty. But fear not! There’s light at the end of this digital tunnel. There are steps you can take to protect yourself and your business from these sneaky cyber foes.

Start by training your employees to spot the red flags. And here’s a top-notch tip: invest in a proper security system.

1. Ensure each and every user on your network has a premium Antivirus, no, a free one does not count!
2. Separate your important business servers and computers like accounting, backups and file storage from the main WiFi network. The last thing you want is someone parked outside your building and still getting easy access to every file or invoice on your network.
3. Limit access to important information like email passwords or network passwords. If you save them on your computer, put them in a password protected file.
4. Do NOT use the same password for everything! Please… this is the biggest security risk since there are regular data breaches and the info is distributed on the dark web for free, so if someone finds a password in one of those breaches and you use the same password for everything from online banking to Netflix, you will have a big problem.
5. Use the haveibeenpwned.com website regularly to check your business and private email account to see if your data has been leaked online.

We are more than happy to assist and give your business a security audit and help you implement a decent security structure to ensure we make it as difficult as possible for fraudsters to target your business. More than 95% of cyber crime is committed by criminals with minimal technical knowledge, they use tactics like fake email and social engineering to get access to the data they need.

So, my friends, the time has come to ask yourself a crucial question: What are you doing to protect yourself? Are you ready to take a stand against cybercrime? Don’t worry, we’ve got your back. Give us a call for more information.Stay vigilant, stay secure, and let’s defeat these cyber villains one byte at a time!