Cyber security can be one of the biggest threats to your club as we’ve talked about in previous posts.
But it’s easy to take the first steps to make sure you’re protected. You won’t develop a comprehensive cyber security resilience plan overnight, but by taking the first bits of action, you’ll be on the road to staying safe.
We’ve highlighted the three things you should do IMMEDIATELY, as a start to getting yourself protected.
Number 1: Are you backed up?
Where’s your latest backup, and do you regularly test it/them? Testing should involve a FULL system recovery, not just a random spreadsheet. If you backup is contained on a USB memory stick and/or on-site, then consider what would happen if the media is corrupted or your building has burned down.
Number 2: Keep updated
Windows and Mac updates are free. Ensure that you are installing on a regular basis and that your software is still current and supported.
Number 3: Strength in numbers (and letters… and symbols)
Ensure your passwords are strong and changed on a regular basis. Mobile devices should use either a PIN code and/or fingerprint recognition.
So those are the easy bits to take care of…
As human beings, we’re eternally optimistic by nature. We’re happy in our belief that bad thing happen to other people, not us.
Disasters can, and do, happen.
They come in many forms. There are the ones that are obvious, like fires storms and floods. But they also come from other directions such as hardware failure, malware, data corruption and even actions of a rogue employee.
In the last few years, there has definitely been a noticeable increase in the latter kinds of events happening. Much of this is due to issues such as ransomware, and other types of malware. But also in some cases, just due to the general increase in system complexity and good old human error.
So take these first steps – and begin to build your resilience against cyber attacks. Then talk to our team about making sure you’re protected, should the worst happen.