Why it Could Impact you
Any business is at threat of cybercrime. Due to the digitalization of the construction sector, large numbers businesses find themselves particularly at risk due to a lack of cybersecurity. Some research assert that up to 75% of construction businesses have had at least one cyber-incident in the past year. Unfortunately, construction corporations have become an attractive target to criminals. Because they have a mobile workforce (often using mobile devices), have a large amount of data sharing (both within and outside the company), and a high personnel turnover, contractors have become an easy target.
The Types of Threats
Malware: They come in a wide range of form; whether they be viruses, worms, or other types, designed to harm your systems and data. They are often used to extract money or to harm your company.
Ransomware: This is a type of malware. Ransomware usually lock up essential parts of your data or system and request an amount of money to unlock. This form of cybercrime has become more popular in the past years.
Phishing: This is the most widely used technique to harvest data. It can be used to install malware or to have access to secure data on a network. The most common form is through email, where an individual is tricked in clicking on a hyperlink or on opening an attachment.
Password Attack: This is where a hacker is able to get access to an individual’s password, giving him access to confidential data.
It is important to note that these types of threats are some of the most common, but there remains a large variety that are not mentioned above.
How to Prevent it
There are a wide range of measures that can be implemented in a company to prevent these threats. Employing a head of cybersecurity might be a good option to navigate through the complex maze that is cybersecurity. Nonetheless, some measures can be applied in your company easily:
Strong Usernames and Passwords: This might seem obvious, but you would be amazed at how little people give attention to their passwords. It is recommended to change passwords frequently, not to use the same password twice, to use a variety of characters, capitalization, symbols and numbers.
Backup your Files: This point is also important even without concerns for cybersecurity. It is important to back up on multiple places your data, so that if an incident occurs, you still have access to it. Unfortunately, spreading your data might make it more accessible to breaches, so it is crucial that the servers be inspected regularly.
Provide Training: This point is also crucial. Providing training to your employees might prevent major breaches and require minimal resources. For example, how to use confidential data, how to make an appropriate password, making your employees aware of phishing emails, etc.
Security Software: Any major servers must be protected with security software and firewalls. This is where a specialist might be the best option. The servers must be inspected on a regular basis, the software adequate and up to date. There exists a wide variety of software that are very efficient, an expert might be the solution to finding the one most appropriate for you.
