A comprehensive and essential guide to cyber security from the IT experts at ACUTEC.

2. Every business that uses technology is a
potential victim of cybercrime. Hacking
and malware are becoming weekly news
headlines with the likes of Talk Talk, Marks
and Spencer and British Gas all being
known victims. Businesses are at risk
because there are so many different kinds
of threats out there.
It is important that businesses are
making the effort to ensure that their
computers and networks are secure
because otherwise the business itself is
at risk, not just the piece of technology
sitting on a desk!
////////////
www.acutec.co.uk

3. Ransomware is a form of hostile takeover where an
individual or group take over your computer system
and encrypt data. The data is then held hostage and
will only be returned to you and decrypted if you pay a
ransom fee. Sometimes these can appear with a
countdown and when you run out of time the
encryption key is deleted causing your data to be lost
forever.
Ransomware plays on
psychology, the countdown
forces people to feel that they
have to pay the ransom
because they are under
pressure and time is running
out. It is important to be aware
that there is no guarantee that
paying up will solve your
problem.
////////////
www.acutec.co.uk

4. Between September 2013
and May 2014 it is believed
over half a million people
were targeted.
STATS
It was estimated in 2012 that one
group of hackers was making
$34,000 a day through
ransomware attacks.
It is believed that $5
million was stolen via
ransomware in 2012.
www.acutec.co.uk

5. Phishing is where an individual receives an email
from what is believed to be a trusted source.
You could receive an email from what appears to
be your bank asking you whether you spent
money in an unusual country. The email may
ask you to click a link and verify your personal
information. You click the link in the hope of
sorting it out and in doing so provide a
malicious entity with data that will enable
them to access your bank account.
////////////
This is not just limited to email! You
can also receive communication
similar to this by phone call or text
message. Be careful when ‘verifying’
your personal details over the phone.
www.acutec.co.uk

6. SPEAR PHISHING
Spear phishing is a more personal way of trying
to gain your information with an individual
pretending to be someone you actually know
and trust. For example, you could receive an
email from someone you work with asking you to
deposit money into an account. If this is part of
both of your jobs the likelihood is you wouldn’t
question it and would go ahead with the request.
////////////
Sometimes spear
phishing can be obvious.
Look out for irregularities
like shortening of
names, spelling
mistakes or a lack of
usual signatures.
www.acutec.co.uk

7. VIRUSES
The point of a virus is to damage or
destroy the files on your computer. A virus
has the ability to replicate itself and can
enter your computer through an email
attachment or as an Internet download.
There are many different types of viruses
which infect specific different types of data
on your computer.
You should know
that a virus cannot
be spread without
some form of
human interaction
and that is why it is
so important to
have end user
education. Your
employees should
be fully aware of
what is out there.
////////////
www.acutec.co.uk

8. Trojans come in the form of computer programs with
harmful code inside what appears to be harmless
programming. They will usually appear to be in a form
that is useful or interesting to persuade you to install it. A
Trojan can make its way to you as an attachment in an
email or as a drive-by download.
Trojans are a doorway to many
other different types of cybercrime.
For example they can enable
software that initiates ransomware
to be installed or allow for your
computer to be involved in other
illegal activity such as attacking
other computers.
////////////
www.acutec.co.uk

9. WHAT TO DO IF IT
HAPPENS TO YOU
Change your
passwords. All of
them.
www.acutec.co.uk
Disconnect from the
Internet so your system is
no longer being
interrogated.
Alert all staff and make
sure that they
disconnect too.
If you have a backup system
in place, open this and create
a restore point so that the
system reverts to where it
was, removing malware.
Advise any clients
to not open emails
from you.
If your data is sensitive you
should contact the
Information Commissioner's
Office to report a data
breach.
Check your insurance
to see if you are
covered for data loss
and disclosure.
Report the case
to Action Fraud.

10. IMPACT////////////
If you’re worried
about your business’s
security or this
happens to you then
call ACUTEC on
01675 469020
www.acutec.co.uk
If your IT system is not secure then your business
is not secure leaving all aspects of the business
vulnerable, including:
Client data
Financial data
Website
Social media
Internal and external communication

11. acutec.co.uk
01675 469020
marketing@acutec.co.uk
@acutec_uk