With 7 in 10 UK adults travelling back into the office at least once a week again, you need to remember to reinforce some cyber security basics with your staff.

Whilst many large businesses are remaining cautious of returning to the office, Boris Johnson said that the government was no longer asking staff to work from home and many businesses are continuing with their hybrid workforce.

The Financial Times shared that a poll by the Chartered Management Institute suggested 4 in 5 people were still homeworking in July 2021. Whilst advisory firm PwC said a third of their employees were coming to the office at least once a week.

With many businesses continuing with a more flexible working set up your computer network and work devices must be all secure, especially if employees are working across several devices.

Whether you know very little about cybercrime or why criminals would target your business or you just want to know how to protect your business - the Cyber Resilience Centre is here to give you access to the knowledge, skills and tools to help protect your business from cybercrime.

What can I do if I’m worried about cyber security in the office?

After such a prolonged period of being away from the office during the pandemic, many businesses moved to a more flexible working setup. You must ensure that you’re reinforcing these cyber security basics with your staff.

1. We all have old passwords and accounts that need updating. Don't forget to revisit any old passwords and change those which are most at-risk.
2. There are few things more important than sharing work documents remotely with colleagues and making sure you have a secure backup of your data in the cloud.
3. Out-of-date software, apps, and operating systems contain weaknesses. This makes it easier to hack, especially if your employees aren't keeping them updated.
4. Staff who were previously used to sharing an office are now much more comfortable working remotely. Have you thought about making sure your teams can continue to collaborate securely with a Working from Home Policy?
5. The most effective way to secure yourself in the digital world is to educate yourself and your staff. 80% of breaches could be prevented by ensuring your staff undergo Cyber Awareness training.

What happens if my business has been attacked?

No security can ever be perfect, either at home or in the office. Cyber Incidents will happen to businesses, so we must be all prepared to deal with them.

All police forces in the North West have dedicated specialist teams who are highly trained and experienced in investigating cybercrime and putting the victim’s needs at the forefront of the investigation.

It is really important if you are a business, charity or other organisation which is currently suffering a live cyber-attack (in progress), that you call the Police at any time on 101 or report the attack to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 immediately.

Commenting on businesses going back to the office, Managing Director of the NWCRC, Neil Jones said:

“With restrictions ending and workplaces reopening, business owners will understandably have questions about their security. Whilst many companies are continuing to work from home, businesses are starting to welcome some staff back to offices."

“We work with our partners to protect businesses and are only too aware of the difficulties many micro and small businesses, in particular, have faced during the pandemic when so many of us are working from home and reliant on new and different IT systems."

"We are on hand to offer trusted guidance and support to the North West business community to reinforce the cyber security basics with executives, managers and staff alike.”

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We've put together a handy ‘Back to the Office’ guide with options for support from the Cyber Resilience Centre team - from upgrading your Cloud Security, to implementing Working from Home Policies and tailored Cyber Awareness Training.

For more information view our Cyber Security guidance and don’t forget you can contact us with any questions.