Cyber security advice and support

Guidance for retailers, warnings about lottery frauds, details on the Police CyberAlarm, gaining cyber accreditation, and how to practice your response to simulated cyber-attacks.

The cost of cyber security breaches

The Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2021, the results of which can be seen here, found that “where businesses have faced breaches with material outcomes, the average (mean) cost of all the cyber security breaches these businesses have experienced in the past 12 months is estimated to be £8,460.” And that “overall costs recorded for businesses and charities follow a similar pattern”.

Boost your cyber resilience with a cyber incident response plan

The Cyber Security Breaches Survey also revealed that 39% of businesses and 26% of charities reported having a cyber breach or attack. Among the 39% of businesses and 26% of charities that identify breaches or attacks, one in five (21% and 18% respectively) end up losing money, data or other assets.

To help you minimise the impact of a cyber-attack, the Cyber Resilience Centre for the South East has created a Cyber Incident Response Plan for you to use.

You can also find some tips to help prevent your business being the victim of a ransomware attack.

Practice your response to cyber-attacks

Exercise in a Box is an online tool which helps organisations find out how resilient they are to cyber-attacks and practise their response in a safe environment.

Learn all about it here >

Business-focused webinar from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau – Dec 14th

Action Fraud is hosting a webinar giving an insight into the workings of the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau and Action Fraud, jointly hosted by the City of London Police.

Whether it's the business themselves or their customer or client that are the victims, these sessions aim to give the attendee an understanding of what goes on after a report is made to Action Fraud and an overview of the various departments that sit within the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau.

The webinar is on Tuesday December 14th at 1.50pm.

You can sign up here >

Police CyberAlarm – free tool to monitor malicious cyber activity

Police CyberAlarm is a free tool to help members understand and monitor malicious cyber activity.

Police CyberAlarm acts as a “CCTV camera”, monitoring the traffic seen by a member’s connection to the internet. It will detect and provide regular reports of suspected malicious activity, enabling organisations to minimise their vulnerabilities.

More information can be found on the Police CyberAlarm website and on this PDF explainer.

Warning over Lottery Frauds

Analysis of reports to Action Fraud by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) has identified a dramatic increase in Advance Fee Lottery Frauds over the last six months. Over £925,000 was lost by victims during that period. Victims reported losing an average loss of just over £1,500.

Lottery fraud occurs when criminals use fake messages and calls to convince a person that they have won a lottery or a prize draw. The victim is then informed that they will need to pay an advance “fee” in order to receive the winnings.

Read more about Lottery Fraud here >

Visit the Action Fraud website for more support and information, including latest news and campaigns.

Shoppers reminded to avoid ‘too good to be true’ bargains at Christmas 

New data from Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud and cyber-crime, reveals that 28,049 shoppers were conned out of their money when shopping online over the Christmas period last year – an increase of almost two thirds (61 per cent) when compared to the same period in the previous year.

Ahead of the festive period, Action Fraud is warning the public to take extra care when shopping online as reports of online shopping fraud have continued to surge as shoppers continue to buy from web-based retailers in light of the pandemic.

Pauline Smith, Director of Action Fraud, said: “Christmas is an incredibly busy time for us all but sadly, criminals will see this is as an ideal opportunity to take advantage of shoppers who are caught up in the excitement of securing a bargain online.

“If you think you have found a bargain that is too good to be true, it probably is. Stop and think before making a purchase as it could protect you and your money. Always shop with official retailers and follow our simple advice to enjoy shopping online safely and ensure you are not left empty handed this Christmas.”

Are the online payments you take vulnerable to ‘skimmers’?

Small online retailers are being encouraged to protect their customers and profits from the threat of callous shopping ‘skimmers’ who could target them.

The activity of skimming exploits a vulnerability in software used at the checkout page on shopping sites to divert payments and steal details of unsuspecting customers. The National Cyber Security Centre – a part of GCHQ – proactively identified 4,151 compromised online shops up to the end of September and alerted retailers to these security vulnerabilities.

SMEs are urged to update software to avoid financial and reputational damage.

Read more about this issue here >

Do you have strong cyber security credentials?

Organisations that have strong cyber security practices in place can achieve Cyber Essentials certification to demonstrate their credentials.

Buckinghamshire Business First is an accredited Cyber Essentials organisation, demonstrating to suppliers, members and employees alike that we can be trusted with their data and have robust cyber security practices in place.

Learn more about Cyber Essentials certification.

Cyber Essentials certification for charities 

There is more information for charities interested in achieving Cyber Essentials accreditation here.

Support for charities to prevent being victim to fraud can be found here.

Discover more advice and resources

Read more cyber security news and advice here >

Business community ambassadors