The 5 controls of Cyber Essentials – Protection from viruses and malware

Malware is now the most common form of computer virus. They are software or web content that’s purpose is to cause harm. These programmes attack legitimate software, then make copies of themselves and send themselves to any computer associated with their victim.

They can cause untold amounts of damage, not only to your computer and devices but to anyone connected to the same network. If a system is infected with malware, the problems can vary, malfunctioning systems, data loss, or onward infection until it causes harm elsewhere are just some examples. Most attacks are financially motivated according to Verizon’s report, they found that 86% of the data breaches they analyzed from 2019 were for financial gain¹.

How malware works

There is a variety of different ways that malware can find its way onto your computer. The user may browse a compromised website, open a file from a removable storage media, such as a memory stick, or something as simple as opening an email that turns out to be infected.

What can you do to fight back!

1. Antivirus software is a must, it should be used on all computers and laptops at home and in the office. It may be included for free with the more popular operating systems, however, these tools are often basic and offer a limited level of protection. For office equipment it couldn’t be any easier, click ‘enable’ and you are instantly a little safer. Smartphones and tablets can require a different approach, all contain end-user device (EUD) security guidance which is easy to find online.
2. Only download apps for mobile phones and tablets from manufacturer-approved shops. Prevent your staff from downloading apps from unknown sources as these will not have been checked for malware. Reputable manufacturer-approved shops include Google Play or the Apple App store, both of which are checked to provide a certain level of protection from malware.
3. If these options aren’t possible for you, there is another option that is a more technical solution. Apps and programmes can be run in a ‘sandbox’. This stops them from communicating with other parts of your device or network which means they cannot be harmed.

Cyber Essentials – The Objective

To prevent harmful code from causing damage or accessing sensitive data, the aim is to do this by restricting the execution of known malware and untrusted software.

Cyber Essentials requirements

Cyber essentials certification requires that you implement one of the three approaches listed above to protect your devices against malware.

Here at 4TC, we can help your business with all aspects of cybersecurity.

Our expertise covers a wide range of bases, from proactive maintenance and Backups to full-network anti-virus and managed anti-spam solutions.  We provide managed services, project management and advice to ensure the businesses we work with remain out-of-bounds to Cybercriminals.