Cyber security threats are now an everyday factor of life… whether it is the spam email pretending to be your boss, a random text with a suspicious link, or an unsolicited international call, we are all at risk: individuals, SMBs and enterprises.

In a world that is as digitally dependent as ours is today, we have more access and more advanced tools than ever before. However, with these technologies and digital shifts, comes greater opportunities for hackers and viruses to infiltrate our businesses. At Future Festival’s ‘Cyber Fitness’ workshop, you will be educated on how to remain aware and informed of the risks associated with digital innovation, which is crucial for you to have a strong, secure and responsible digital environment. 

Whilst technological advancements provide us with powerful tools and innovations to help us succeed, it is imperative to know the limitations of your technology. You may not have even considered just how much of your business is reliant on digital systems. Whether you are a business owner, manager, or employee, consider what type of information you are storing… 

• SMBs, do you have a CRM containing your customer contact details?

• Financial professionals, do you host customer payment information and financial records online?

• Lawyers, do you have a digital platform to input records of client case notes?

• Therapists, counsellors and clinicians, are your patient notes and files digital?

• Online retailers, can site visitors register for your newsletter or for a login? If a customer notices that they are getting spam emails, they are able to trace the data breach back to your site! Consider how that would influence your brand trust that you worked so hard to establish.

For many businesses (across all industries), it is not just a matter of considering your own data that may be at risk, but also assessing the confidential customer data that you are legally required to protect. 

Regarding these situations listed above, there are serious legal repercussions and damages involved if you were to suffer a cyberattack that breached the privacy of your customers, if you were not obeying your legal responsibility to protect this information as best as possible. Knowledge of the limitations and potential weaknesses of your business technology is your first step in ensuring you are minimising your risk of cyberattack. Whether attackers are accessing and holding critical data for ransom or are deploying a direct phishing attack on your digital infrastructure that brings your business operations to a halt, the effects and repercussions of a cybersecurity breach is immense: legally, financially and operationally. This is why our ‘Cyber Fitness’ workshop will address useful and practical ways for you to protect your business.

No business, industry or individual is completely safe from these attacks. The most important thing for you to do is to begin your cybersecurity journey through deploying fast, yet effective tactics to help you improve your security posture. At Forward Festival, our 40-minute ‘Cyber Fitness’ workshop will assist you in navigating the often intimidating and confusing world of cybersecurity, the risks you need to be aware of, and how to remain compliant.