Small Businesses do not always have a plan B when there is an unprecedented cyber attack. But, with the current happenings in the cyber space, your business might be the next target and you certainly do not want to lose your valuable data and other confidential resources to Cyber crimes.

Wish there was an automated process that solves all these issues in your enterprise – something like a “Set it and forget it” mechanism? You do not need a plan B. What you really need is a plan with actionable steps to build a robust infrastructure.

The good news is ACSC (Australian Cyber Security Centre) has come up with a set of pre-requisites that you could follow to secure your business online, so you could peacefully resume your remote working lifestyle. Save this list or make a note of it and make sure you take the necessary steps to ensure that your organization is cyber safe.

Regular back up

This is where you start. Back up all your business data including files, sensitive information, etc. There are like a 100 ways you could lose your data to cyber crimes – Hijacking, ransomware attacks, staff accounts being hacked, and so on. The list is endless. So, you can not skip this step. The last thing you want for your business is unrecoverable or inaccessible data.

Further read: To learn more about how you could regularly back up data, check out ACSC’s advice on backing up and restoring data.

Schedule automatic security updates with a Security Software

Seamless installation of security updates after business hours works to your favor by reducing the server downtime. Also, regular patching of systems is a big deal because these upgrades might contain patches for recent attacks. The idea is to first make your business resilient to the known cyber-attacks.

Encrypt Confidential Information

Once you are connected to the internet, you can not expect privacy. It is time to revisit the Bob-Alice key encryption. So take your public and private keys and act smart to prevent feeling violated.

Two Factor Authentication

Two Factor Authentication (2FA): An additional layer of security rarely goes wrong, similar to having two locks for your front door. It could either be a code sent to your device or a question that confirms your identity.

Install Password Manager

Because weak passwords are easy to crack using a password cracker tool and strong passwords are hard to remember. Bid adieu to ‘manually entering passwords’ or ‘resetting passwords’ because Zoho Vault, the online password manager is here to make your log-in process hassle-free. Installing its chrome extension will allow you to instantly log in to different accounts securely.

Keep track of the entire network

Many workplaces have old systems that have dust settled on it. Chances of updating those systems are likely to be less and it is better to unplug them because that is one of the weak points that cyber actors might use against you. Also, be careful about the use of external devices with your systems and ensure that you have removed access for previous employees. If you feel it is a lot to handle, you can contact us for a Free Cyber Threat Assessment.

Further read: Know why Cyber Security is important for your business and how to make it work for you.

Educate your staff

Your teams are your organization’s asset and as the Business owner, it is your prime responsibility to train your staff about how they can use the work devices and resources in the most secure way possible. Having a security policy handbook will help them to understand the do’s and dont’s when it comes to “work”. Also, at Flexbox we provide Security training for businesses like yours. Our qualified Cyber security experts want to help your staff to understand cyber security and its best practices.

Take steps to safeguard your customers

The confidentiality of your customers’ data is paramount. Don’t give a chance to their data being stolen unless you want to ruin people’s trust that took you years and loads of effort to establish in the first place. You can begin by researching on the most secure gateways for online transactions and also updating to the Australian Privacy Policy (APPs) for providing a safe online experience for your customers.

Further read: Dive into the insights provided by ACSC – Business owners on securing customer information.

Secure yourself first

Yes, you should protect your customers’ data. But before that, you need to have a Cyber security insurance policy to be able to bounce back in case of any attacks. Go through the resources on OAIC (Office of the Australian Information Commissioner). Our professionals can help you with it too. If you need any guidance, you can talk to us. We would be happy to device security policies tailored to your business needs that complies with the industry standards and governance frameworks.

Further read: Learn more about how we are supporting AESCSF in building Cyber resilient businesses.

Reach out for advice

How do you address the vulnerabilities present in your network? Self-assessment, strategizing, compliance, policies, and plans, etc. How do you juggle everything? We have a dedicated team that can help you with everything that concerns your cyber security. At Flexbox, we understand how small businesses and start-ups are striving to survive and not give in to any mishaps. We know the years of efforts you have put in to reach this place and would not want anything but for your business to move forward. While you get busy with important business activities and hit the monthly goals in your Sales chart, our Cyber security experts will secure your network by providing in-depth reviews and seal the security loopholes.

Feel free to contact us for a free cyber security consultation or fill-up the form below and submit it. Our cyber security professionals will be glad to help you out.

The Energy sector has been receiving rampant attention from cyber threats in recent years. Just when we thought the pandemic could not get any worse, the energy industry has become vulnerable to cyber attacks. The attacks in the energy sector extend beyond the industry and immensely affect the people.

Why did the Energy sector become a target?

Upon digging deeper, the root cause of this situation has come to light. The energy industry has been suffering through in the digital era because of the reasons listed below:

– Interdependency: Convergence of IT & OT led to increased risks
– Usage of Legacy systems without security
– Security loopholes in the physical system/devices
– Distributed power systems with less security

The initiative

This has put a lot of pressure on the CIOs and CISOs to be more vigilant and come up with contingency plans. The impetus to bridge these gaps and build a robust cyber security infrastructure has led to the development of a framework known as AESCSF (Australian Energy Sector Cyber Security Framework) released by the AEMO (Australian Energy Market Operator) in 2018. It majorly involves the analysis of two aspects namely,

(i) criticality assessment
(ii) cyber security capability and maturity self-assessment

The AESCSF regimen

Security Framework (AESCSF) by AEMO. The Australian Energy Sector Cyber Security Framework (AESCSF) provides a set of well-recognized guidelines specifically tailored to the Australian Energy sector. The prime focus of this framework has been towards devising protocols and emergency management plans.

The cardinal elements of the AESCSF framework are summarized as follows:

– Identification of anti-patterns to detect the loopholes causing issues that lead to cyber crimes.

– Providing effective self-assessment toolkits to generate an accurate report with actionable insights. The built-in additional contextual guidance serves well in bringing more clarity to the current happenings of your enterprise.

– This framework has been entirely based on the energy sector, keeping the Australian guidelines in mind. The result? You now have a set of guidelines pertaining to the Australian locals, tailored to every specific subsector.

– Informative guidelines, educational resources, and relevant references are provided as links or downloadable documents to enhance the capability of the OT & IT environment.

Mitigating cyber threats

Though many businesses already have models and systems to assess their maturity and criticality levels, they do not distinctly know which is the most suitable system for a particular issue. This is where Flexbox Digital comes into the picture. We have been helping several Australian companies to achieve 100% compliance and align well with the governance frameworks. We would love to help you achieve the same.

Here are a few quick bullets to give you an idea of how we will help your business to abide by the AESCSF which will not only secure your infrastructure but also protect you from sophisticated cyber attacks:

Security training

Bid goodbye to the obscurity. What is the best way to identify vulnerable endpoints? What are some simple but effective cyber security practices? You will find answers to these questions in our security training. Let’s bridge the knowledge gap.

Expert review
Being at the coal face of the cyber security field, we strive to reduce the possibilities of a cyber attack in your enterprise. Our qualified experts will 10x your data protection efforts by providing a tailor-made review.

Security assessment
Automation and digitization which have become a part of our daily lives are packed with security risks. An effective complete assessment of your critical energy infrastructure is what you need to determine inherent risks and the potential impacts.

Security Report
Cyber security preparedness is the need of the hour. An overview report that identifies your area of weakness along with a strategic roadmap to tackle the situation can help you achieve your security goals. These in-depth reports with guidelines and strategies work to your advantage.

You are well aware that cyber threats are increasing exponentially every year. It would make a whole world of difference when you adapt to the proven techniques and solutions we offer. In the truest sense, you can make cyber security work for you. We understand your business security needs and we want to cater to those needs.

Feel free to contact us for a free cyber security consultation or fill-up the form below and submit it. Our cyber security professionals will be glad to help you out.

Just like how it is crucial to get a yearly health checkup, your enterprise needs to have a security checkup as in a security assessment. According to ACSC’s (Australian Cyber Security Centre) annual cyber security threat report, Australian companies are more vulnerable to cyber attacks.

The ACSC receives a prodigious amount of cyber crime reports from all over Australia which is approximately 4000+ reports per month. Australian companies are losing money, confidential data, and are becoming victims of cyber crimes through fraudulent e-mails and phishing attacks.

Well, for starters, “Hackers attack every 39 seconds.’ – The University of Maryland, the pre-eminent national center for research. There is solid statistical evidence to back that statement.

Strong, Secure Passwords

Passwords are one of the critical problems in cybersecurity today.

Username: Admin
Password: Admin123

Weak passwords are a major security threat. The password that tops the list of the most used passwords is ‘password’ indeed. Ironic, isn’t it? (Username) and (Username) 123, 0000 or 1234, your birth year or combinations of it are not the kind of passwords you should be using anywhere. Switch to alphanumeric passwords. For example, Password: bOxIt8w@T$. These types of passwords are distinctive and hence difficult to hack. But strong and unique passwords are hard to remember, you can look at installing a password manager like Zoho Vault.

Zoho Vault is an online password manager that helps businesses securely store, share and manage passwords.

Small Businesses’ data at the stake of Cyber Criminals

In today’s dynamic business world, every facet and trend keeps changing rapidly. Business agility, as you call it. Sure. Businesses can be unpredictable. But, managing biz successfully comes down to embracing its unpredictable nature. It is all about being prepared for any situation.

Imagine this scenario. One of your staff members has their e-mail accounts compromised, which leads to a severe data breach of:
– customers’ data
– confidential documents
– Sensitive information like credit card details, medical records, financial, and even legal information.

Can you fathom the volume of data and money lost?

This is what happens when an unprecedented issue occurs, and businesses aren’t equipped to combat cyber threats.

Grab your Cyber Security shield

You can not shy away from securing and protecting your organization. Cyber Security review and training are exactly what you need. It is cardinal to educate your teams with the current happenings in the Cyber space and mandate the best practices. Because it is better to be safe than sorry, right? You are just one click away from running a secure business.

Flexbox Digital is offering solutions to keep your business protected and compliant.

The solutions include:
(i) Expert Review
(ii) Security Assessment
(iii) Security Report

If you would like to know more about how Flexbox Digital secures your infrastructure, check out our Cyber security services page or get in touch with our exceptionally qualified Cyber security experts. Always remember that we are in this together.

Is your mind still hazy on how to embark on a risk management strategy? Why don’t you hop in the form below, fill in your details, and hit ‘submit’? We will take it from there.