Looking after sensitive information need not be difficult, but it is absolutely essential, and all businesses must do all they can to avoid cybercriminals. With the internet playing a fundamental role in how companies operate, learn how you can use internal communications to ensure your organisation is protected.

1. Cyber risks
and security:
taking steps to protect your business

2. Contents
• A real threat
• Bad for Britain
• A wake-up call for finance
• Vulnerabilities
• Internal communications
• Employees
• The right message
• A helping hand

3. A real threat
According to research carried out by Beaming, cybercrime costs UK
businesses in the region of £29.1 billion annually. In 2017, the average UK
business was subjected to around 231,028 internet-borne cyber-attacks.
That’s approximately 633 attempts each day.

4. Bad for Britain
Sonia Blizzard, managing director of data firm Beaming:
“2017 was the worst year yet for cyber-attacks on British businesses,
whose IT security systems are under constant pressure from hackers and
malicious computer scripts seeking to exploit any vulnerability. With most
attacks targeting relatively simple devices, it is possible many companies
are already infected and don’t know about it.”

5. A wake-up call
for finance
According to research carried out by cyber security expert InfoGuard,
financial companies are some of the most vulnerable to cyber attacks. In
2017, it ranked the five industries at greatest risk as:
1. Healthcare
2. Financial services
3. Manufacturing
4. Government
5. Legal
However, when it comes to the actual cost of these attacks, the finance
industry is way out in front. According to a report produced by Accenture
and the Ponemon Institute, ‘cyber attacks have a greater financial
impact on the financial services industry than on any other’.

6. Vulnerabilities
According to CSO (from IDG), these are the five most common – and
successful – types of cyber attack:
1. Socially engineered malware
2. Password phishing attacks
3. Unpatched software
4. Social media threats
5. Advanced persistent threats
It just takes one misjudged click to infect an entire company’s computer
network, and potentially generate numerous operational complications.
Keeping on top of all possible threats is critical, and that means having the
right defences in place, and communicating effectively with all members of
staff.

7. Internal
communications
Internal communications can be the difference between ensuring an
employee refrains from opening a virus-ridden email, and them
downloading a document that infects a company’s entire computer network.
Companies are most vulnerable when employees are unaware of protocol,
or can be hoodwinked into committing an action that works in the
cybercriminal’s favour. And, the more employees your company has, the
more avenues a hacker has to attempt to exploit.
The value of internal communications was summed up well in a recent
GDPR report:
“An effective crisis management plan consists of two key components:
key components: quick, reliable and secure communication with all
communication with all employees to notify them of the situation, and the
situation, and the efficient deployment of resources to resolve the issue.”

8. Employees
By remaining alert, keeping employees updated regularly,
and letting them know who should be contacted if they
ever become suspicious, attacks can be kept to a
minimum, and in a lot of cases eradicated entirely.
However, for internal communications to be effective, it’s
vital the right message be sent out, via the right
channels, and to the right audience. All employees are
different, and sometimes numerous methods will need to
be applied.

9. The right message
To communicate effectively, knowing your audience is crucial.
Understanding how best to reach particular people, being conscious of
what messages will resonate, and having a content strategy in place to
ensure communications are sent at the right time, will enhance any
communications campaign.
At Southerly, we design personas to ensure our messages get to where
they need to go. This helps us to determine:
• What language to use
• What communications channel(s) to use
• How regularly to communicate
However, communications campaigns aren’t always easy to create or
implement. But, help is at end.

10. A helping hand
Southerly has worked with numerous clients – from
Shell to NatWest, Government agencies to technology
giants - to help them deliver complex
want to discuss your communications needs, get in
We’re always happy to talk content.

11. We are
Storytellers.