• March 29, 2024
 Is your business safe from attack?

Is your business safe from attack?

During Covid-19 lockdown, email attacks on businesses have risen to a record high with over 500,000 malicious email attacks having been received by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) during the last three months.

This is according to official figures obtained by think tank Parliament Street, using a Freedom of Information request, which show that HMRC were being bombarded by 5,000 spam, phishing, and malware emails every day!

It’s probably no surprise to you that organisations such as HMRC are under constant attack, they’re a veritable goldmine of personal and company data for hackers.

It won’t happen to me.

There’s a tendency to think of cybercrime as something that happens to other people such as large organisations such as Banks and Financial institutions, or people who simply were not being careful about their online activities. The reality is that we’re all constantly under attack from cybercriminals and the proof is in your inbox.

Phishing is the simplest kind of cyberattack and, at the same time, the most dangerous and effective. That is because it attacks the most vulnerable and powerful computer on the planet: the human mind tricking us into revealing personal information such as passwords and card details.

How do they do this?

It only takes ONE rogue email! Many hackers trick victims by using Spoof emails which mimic an email from a legitimate sender containing familiar branding and content and demanding some sort of action. If successful, one of these attempts could lead to cyber criminals gaining access to critical data such as user credentials and passwords, allowing the hacker to move around the organisation undetected, without raising suspicion from administrators.

That’s only one half of the story.

So, what about the emails we send, both internally and externally?

Whether it’s a personal email or a business account, having your email hacked is a real possibility. Hackers can quickly gain access to anything you’ve sent – like passwords, account numbers, or bank information. They can also then use your account to send viruses to other computers, and then hack them too.

With the Covid-19 crisis forcing millions of people to work from home, there is an increased risk that malicious parties using stolen log-in details can operate without workers spotting what’s happening.

• Imagine having your company information being hacked or even worse that of your clients!
• What if they use this to defraud you or your client base?
• The effects could be devastating. Would your business survive?

It is critical that we all recognise the threat that emails can pose to our businesses seeking alternative methods of sending and receiving sensitive information which is both secure and simple to use.

This article was submitted to be published by Countrywide Tax & Trust Corporation Limited as part of their advertising agreement with Today’s Wills and Probate. The views expressed in this article are those of the submitter and not those of Today’s Wills and Probate.

Charlotte Ponder LL.B (Hons) TEP

Charlotte Ponder LL.B (Hons) TEP is the Legal Director of Countrywide Tax & Trust Corporation Ltd and Countrywide Legacy, Charlotte holds a key responsibility in overseeing the running of the company as well as ensuring that the day-to-day operations run smoothly. With a strong legal background, Charlotte is well placed to take on this demanding position, having worked in multiple areas of law before progressing to Countrywide and interacted directly with clients to explain complex concepts in a simple manner. Following her studies and being called to the Bar, Charlotte’s legal career began in family law. As well as providing a strong foundation for her legal experience to build upon, here she also witnessed many divorce cases involving high asset losses, sparking her interest in how such consequences could be prevented.