According to a recent study by KPMG on Cyber Security in Austria 2022, 67 percent of the 550 Austrian companies surveyed were affected by cybercrime in the past twelve months. In 2021, the proportion of those affected was still 60 percent.
These figures only show that cybercrime is on the rise. It was also inspired by the COVID pandemic and its ill-effects, as outlined by the Status Report on Internet Crime Trends in 2020 published by the Federal Criminal Police Office on August 11, 2021. Reported crimes have increased by 26.3 percent as compared to 2019.
But how to protect yourself? Below you will find practical information and tips. A note in advance: with a good cyber insurance Benefit not only from financial security, but also from professional all-round advice.
“Even small animals play with you”
Headlines such as “the sixth was the victim of a cyber attack”, “the cyber attack on Akka’s subsidiary Akka”: such headlines suggest that only huge corporations and large companies are of interest to cybercriminals. But this is not the case, as cyber expert and insurance broker Helmut Hofbauer points out: “Cyber criminals have been attacking small industrial companies and SMEs for some time now. Only small amounts can be collected this way, but under the general motto ‘even small animals make a mess’, a greater number of cases are worth their while for online connections, field staff or Company laptops, service technicians with overseas branches, ordering platforms, remote control tools for machines, and so on,” lists Helmut Hofbauer. Stress is often one reason e-mail attachments are opened without thought.
These are the most common types of cyber attacks
Cybercrime takes many forms: fraud calls, cyber trading fraud, investment scams, technical support scams, phishing, ransomware and DDoS attacks are just a few of the possible forms of cyber attack. But which are the “most popular” ones? “Malware, phishing, and social engineering are the most common,” Hoffbauer says. “Especially large companies have now recognized the gravity of the situation and have put in place major security measures to make it somewhat more difficult for hackers to penetrate sensitive IT areas.” According to the Federal Criminal Police Office, ransomware in particular has become one of the most important tools for cybercriminals in recent years. In 2020, the attacks were mainly aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
This is how you protect yourself and your company
As a private individual and an entrepreneur, there are steps you can take to keep your chances of a successful cyberattack as low as possible. To effectively protect your home, the Federal Criminal Police Office’s status reports recommend, for example, regularly backing up data, updating software, installing antivirus software on all devices with an Internet connection. Regularly change the standard password, check the authorization of the router and used apps or delete unused ones.
In addition, it is advised to shop only from trusted online retailers, never answer suspicious calls or messages, and never send money in advance to strangers. As an entrepreneur, you should take security measures regarding your teleworking equipment (hard disk encryption, time limits for inactivity, etc.) It is also important to establish secure remote access, increase security monitoring and create secure communication channels. There is also great potential for avoiding security incidents by increasing employee awareness of potential safety vulnerabilities. In theory, there should also be a regular list of what software is being used and what technical measures have been taken to protect against viruses,” explains Helmut Hofbauer.
It is also advisable to take cyber insurance. Such a policy should not only cover financial losses, but should also meet the following points, as experts point out: “Independent IT professionals, for example, give preventive advice on security standards to the insured and in the event Develop an action plan. For a hacker attack. In the event of damage, only experts are there to assist around the clock – so it’s important to have a 24/7 hotline! Of course, this applies to private internet users as well. Is.”
However, when choosing insurance, it is important to keep your eyes open! Cyber insurance covers a wide area – definitions of damage are not uniform and difficult to understand questionnaires complicate decisions. With an independent expert you are on the safe side.
created in collaboration with styrian insurance broker,
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