Is Your Sector at Risk of Cyber Threats?
October was Cyber Security Awareness Month, so if the past few weeks have seen cyber risks rise on your agenda, it may be time to take action.
If you work in an industry where cyber threats are not widely perceived as a risk, it might be worth asking yourself what impact a cyber attack might have on your operations.
With more and more firms reliant on computer systems for back-office operations, customer relationship management and core business functions, don’t let this be an issue you neglect in the coming months and years.
Cyber threats to the professional services sector
The professional services sector is one discipline that is seeing increased cyber attacks, as would-be attackers broaden their horizons from the classic at-risk sectors of finance and banking.
As recently as September, payroll processing firm Giant Group fell victim to a “sophisticated cyber attack” that was detected as suspicious activity on its network.
The company was forced to shut down its systems as a precaution, preventing contact via email or on its IP-based telephone lines, and leaving contractors unable to chase month-end payments in September.
See our professional services guidance to learn about APH’s dedicated cyber security services.
Cyber attacks on engineering firms
It’s not only in clerical disciplines that cyber security is a concern: in the second half of September, Glasgow-based engineering firm Weir Group was hit by a cyber attack too.
Again, a proactive response meant systems were quickly shut down, affecting core engineering applications and enterprise resource planning platforms.
While some applications were brought back online quickly, others took longer to restore, on a business priority basis – and according to reports, the direct cost to Weir Group was an estimated £5 million.
See our engineering guidance to learn about APH’s dedicated cyber security services.
Cyber risks for wholesale and distribution
Cyber risks for supply chains are high on the agenda after being singled out by the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) as a way for hackers to induce “catastrophic cascading effects”.
We have already seen how supply chain disruption can have adverse consequences, with shortages of various supermarket goods in recent weeks arising from COVID-19 and Brexit-related turbulence, even without attempted attacks.
ENISA said in July: “It is estimated that there will be four times more supply chain attacks in 2021 than in 2020… There is an increasing need for new protective methods that incorporate suppliers in order to guarantee that organisations remain secure.”
See our wholesale and distribution guidance to learn about APH’s dedicated cyber security services.
Staying secure against sector-specific attacks
To prepare for and prevent sector-specific cyber attacks against engineering firms, professional services, wholesale and distribution, and other industries, it’s important to work with an IT security specialist with experience of your market, channel or segment.
APH work with clients across the economy, including ecommerce and retail, chemicals, manufacturing, engineering, wholesale and distribution, and professional services.
We can protect against virus threats, network attacks, email security risks and malicious websites, among many other potential IT security hacks and attacks.
To find out more about our experience and expertise in your sector, contact APH today and take the first crucial step towards protecting your business against the substantial losses involved in a cyber attack.
