As more of our lives move online, experts are warning people and businesses to be extra careful about data breaches, particularly as there is an uptick in cyber attacks with more people working from home.
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month.
“We’re seeing different types of cyber attacks, especially with work from home initiatives,” said Tillman Hodgson, president of the Kelowna-based data security firm SeekingFire Consulting.
“Even businesses that had robust security frameworks in place maybe didn’t take into account most of the workforce being at home,” he said.
Hodgson recommends keeping devices updated with the latest security patches and using unique accounts and passwords.
A recent BC Chamber of Commerce survey found that more than 60 per cent of companies have had a cyber breach, but only three quarters reported it.
“When you think about cyber breaches, the typical impacts that you’d see are an impact to your business productions knocked out for a while and so on,” he said.
“But there’s also a reputation impact, so there’s an incentive to try and handle things internally,” Hodgson said. “But in the long run, that actually affects everyone.”
Hodgson suggested that companies should spend about four per cent of their revenues on tackling security and privacy.
He said companies should have a closer look at how their employees are sharing data and ensure it’s safe.