Two-Thirds of Tradespeople Suffer From Cyber-Attack

Nearly two-thirds of tradespeople have been targeted by some form of cyber-attack over the course of their careers.

Tradespeople are being warned not to take the threat of cyber-crime lightly after NFU Mutual research shows that 61% of tradespeople suffered cyber-crime.

In the survey of 500 UK tradespeople, one in five said they had fallen victim to phishing scams, 14% suffered malware or viruses on computers and more than one in 10 had customer information stolen.

A total of 13% of those surveyed say they had been targeted in the last 12 months alone. A fifth of tradespeople say it is one of the biggest worries in the industry, with 73% of respondents admitting it was a growing concern.

Prime Targets

NFU Mutual is urging tradespeople to remain vigilant to the threat of scams and attacks: “While people may not associate the trades industry with digital tools, a lot of resources are used without realising they are susceptible to cyber criminals.

“Tradespeople are often sole traders or small businesses so may not have the technology or protection in place against these types of attacks and that makes them a prime target.

“It’s unsurprising our research shows almost three-quarters of tradespeople admitting the issue is front of mind for them and their business, and there are simple steps that can help mitigate the risk – things such as two-factor authentication on critical applications as well as planning for the worst.

“Using digital devices for payments, customer information or supplier details can all be vulnerable, so it is essential to take action against cyber risk, ensuring adequate insurance cover is in place and taking some simple, but effective, steps to try and mitigate this.”

Preventing cyber-attack

NFU Mutual is highlighting the following digital technology that is at risk for tradespeople:

• The use of computers and software including email and other applications to communicate with customers, order materials and sell products
• Servers or digital storage facilities to hold customer and employee data
• A website to promote businesses and sell products
• The use of online banking to transfer funds, purchase suppliers and receive payment from customers
• Internet connected devices – such as office computer networks, CCTV and lighting

10 Steps to Protect Against Cyber Attacks

To help protect trades businesses, NFU Mutual recommends:

1.Install a firewall and anti-virus software on all company devices and keep them updated

2.Use strong passwords – but crucially don’t use the same log in details or passwords across multiple accounts and services, always separate personal and business accounts

3.Implement Two Factor Authentication (Multifactor Authentication – MFA) – this is a simple method which requires two different methods to ‘prove’ your identity before you can use a service, generally a password plus one other method such as a text message or fingerprint

4.Ensure all software is up to date and kept updated on a regular basis

5.Back up your files and data weekly and store on a separate, secure device

6.Educate employees around cyber-crime, including how to spot potentially dangerous or fraudulent emails or websites

7.Make sure factory set passwords such as those on hardware like routers and other connected devices are changed periodically and equipment is set up with security in mind

8.Where appropriate, use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) when allowing employees access to company systems remotely. Ensure this too is protected by Two Step Verification

9.Don’t neglect physical security – ensuring all company devices are securely stored and locked away when not in use is just as important.

10.Have a Business Continuity Plan (BCP). This should outline the steps necessary to respond to a cyber incident and help speed up recovery. Crucially this should include a list of vendors (IT, Legal etc) you can call upon at short notice.

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