Patrick Gower looks at the human toll of cyber crime
Fearmongering or a new harsh reality?
Patrick Gower’s latest documentary is a deep dive into the current state of cyber-crime and how it affects not only individuals, but businesses and organisations. You can watch the documentary on ThreeNow.
“If you are anything like me you will be addicted to your phone or find life gets niggly without Wi-Fi.”
The reality is we are all dependent on technology these days, with many people spending their workdays online and their private lives stored in their phones. Cyber-crime is becoming increasingly prevalent prompting the question; How are the victims of these cyber-attacks affected?
“I have a warning for Kiwis – hackers, scammers and cyber criminals are coming for us.” – Patrick Gower’s warning after his investigation shows just what cyber criminals are capable of, and the inherent lack of justice these criminals face.
A cybersecurity report by Barracuda Networks found that small businesses are 350% more likely to face social engineering attacks than those at larger businesses. Showing the reality that anyone can be a target.
Many companies are vulnerable to cyber-attacks without strong cyber security protocols and their lack of preparedness to deal with such an attack can have major consequences. These attacks can cause disruption to business, loss of sensitive data, reputational damage and can have huge monetary losses.
In 2021, out of five hundred small & medium businesses surveyed, the average cost of a data breach was $159,000, with some reaching into seven-figures. This cost is due to increase in the coming years as more businesses are targeted by these criminals. Business Insurance Application Forms are focusing on what actions you have put in place to mitigate cyber-attacks, with multi factor authentication be a MUST have requirement.
“An ordinary Kiwi small business in a provincial centre had been hacked and the details of all its customers stolen.
Cyber-crime is here to stay. The harsh reality is your business could be a target and without sufficient cyber security, you are at risk. Microsoft provides you with the tools to protect yourself, but the ownership and responsibility of your company data is yours.
If you would like to find out more about how Lucidity can help you improve your cyber security, please get in touch on 09 363 8888 or email us at info@lucidity.co.nz.
You can also learn more about how to protect yourself at CERTNZ.
