To prevent thefts and burglaries, you are advised to lock doors and close windows when leaving your home or premises and naturally, this is something we routinely know to do.  The same goes for preventing fires, you are advised to regularly check your fire alarm is working, but the question is do you install the same practice for your digital property?

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Whether you are a school, retail business, legal firm or construction company, if you use and are connected to the internet then you may well be open vulnerabilities that you are not aware of. If your business is connected to the internet, we recommend investing in a Remote Network Vulnerability Assessment to help you to identify weaknesses in that connection.

What are the dangers of vulnerabilities in my digital property?

A cyber-attack that targeted the school payment system Wisepay (which allows parents to pay for things like school meals and exam fees online) led to parents being warned that their card details may have been compromised.

Wisepay said a hack of its website meant an attacker was able to steal users payment details between via a spoof website page. The attack impacted about 300 schools, although the firm said only a small number of the pupils' parents would have used its system before it was taken offline.

This is an example of where the Remote Vulnerability Assessment system would have been able to identify possible weaknesses that cyber criminals would have been able to exploit.

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So, what exactly is a Remote Network Vulnerability Assessment?

A Remote Network Vulnerability Assessment is the digital version of a prospective burglar visiting your property to assess where your access points are. Here at The South East Cyber Resilience Centre, we are able to offer a Remote Vulnerability Assessment as one of our services, this allows us to remotely look at your digital space to see where those points of entry would be for cyber criminals.

A Remote Network Vulnerability Assessment uses the same toolsets and skill sets that hackers use to map your organisation's internet connections.

This service also benefits from regional Police and National Cyber Security Centre intelligence to capture the latest known threats and techniques cybercriminals use.

How does a Remote Vulnerability Assessment work?

The Remote Network Vulnerability Assessment uses the same toolsets and skill sets that hackers use to map your organisation's internet connections.

This service also benefits from regional Police and National Cyber Security Centre intelligence to capture the latest known threats and techniques cybercriminals use.

The assessment will be supported with reporting that describes, in plain language, what each weakness means to your business and the associated risks.  Additionally, it will also contain plans and guidance on how to fix discovered flaws.

What are the benefits of undertaking a Remote Network Vulnerability Assessment?

• Conducting a Remote Network Vulnerability Assessment will help you determine the effectiveness of any current security measures.

• Whilst a Vulnerability Assessment is not explicitly required by the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), it does require organisations that process personal data to ensure that they have implemented appropriate technical and organisational security measures, including identifying vulnerabilities.

• A key part of a Remote Network Vulnerability Assessment is identifying all “live” devices on your business network. This can be vital in maintaining an asset management registry and help streamline business processes.

• A Remote Network Vulnerability Assessments will help mitigate the risks of a cyber attack, which will come with a range of costs, including reputational damage and financial penalties.

How long does a Remote Network Vulnerability Assessment take? This highly depends on the size and scope of the project. We're able to confirm the duration after scoping the project with you.

Will a Remote Network Vulnerability Assessment affect our normal business operations?

When scoping the project, we analyse and plan to avoid any disruptions. There will not be any disruptions unless we advise you in advance and both parties are agreed on that.

 Ready to increase your businesses resilience to cyber attacks?