Two IT firms give cyber security warning after M&S and Co-op hacks
Two leading West Midlands IT firms today issued a sobering warning for businesses after the debilitating cyber-attack on Marks & Spencer.
Hubtel IT and Intercity Managed Services, both based in Birmingham, spoke out as M&S entered its second week of chaos following a hack which has taken out its online ordering systems and left shelves in stores empty, costing millions in lost sales.
The two companies’ advice came as news broke that Co-op had been forced to shut off part of its IT systems after a separate cyber-attack on its systems.
Jo Bayliss, director at Hubtel IT, said: “Cyber criminals are working round the clock to find vulnerabilities in companies’ systems. AI and deep fake technology are extra tools in the hackers’ arsenal, so we all need to be on our A-game 24 hours a day.
“This can sound overwhelming and like you might not know where to start, but the perfect place is ‘Cyber Essentials‘ – a Government-backed certification scheme which helps keep you and your customers’ data safe from cyber criminals.”
Mike Osbourne, MD at Intercity Managed Services, said: “One business falls victim to cyber-attacks every 14 seconds, so it’s no longer a case of if but when you will need to manage a cyber-attack.”
He listed five key cyber-security pointers:
- Ensure IT and data is secured to government’s Cyber Essentials framework.
- Educate staff to be vigilant and act as a ‘human firewall.’
- Prepare a cyber response plan ready in advance and test it annually.
- Communicate well, often and honestly if ever you’re affected by a cyber-attack.
- Report any cyber-attack to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) immediately.
Mrs Bayliss said she had great sympathy for M&S who “will be working 24/7 to restore their IT network.”
She added: “They will undoubtedly have a strong disaster recovery plan in place, but it won’t be quick and it won’t be easy. Every layer of their digital infrastructure will need to be checked, cleansed and restored. Let’s hope M&S bounce back from this stronger.
“Meanwhile this should serve as a salutary reminder to every other organisation out there to ensure cyber security remains top of the list of priorities.”
