Wednesday, 20 May 2015

Cyber crime the new growth industry



 

Cyber-crime is growing at an alarming rate. A particular area of fraudulent activity is linked to stolen passwords.

 

Latest estimates indicate that online fraud hits one in eight UK businesses each year and costs a staggering £20 billion.

 

Despite storing critical information on mobile devices and computers some 82% of SME’s are unprepared for an IT security breach.

 

Entrepreneurial owners of SME’s are a prime target for fraud as overseeing finances doesn’t always come naturally to them.

 

 If an owner is focusing mainly on the product or service being sold, and only minimally on administration, it leaves a business vulnerable to fraud.

 

In smaller organisations fraud can take many forms e.g. invoice scams, to suppliers providing kickbacks for inflated purchases, theft of stock, fictitious expenses etc.

 

For larger organisations the potential for various fraud activities exists but the numbers involved are far greater.

 

It is essential that all organisations have systems in place to monitor all of the company’s finances and commitments in a clear and concise format.

 

Simple but effective systems of checks and balances can go a long way to limiting if not removing the risks.

 

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