What can Tonbridge Castle teach us about cyber security?
ALTHOUGH it predates the creation of the internet by the best part of 1,000 years, Tonbridge Castle’s mediaeval approach to defence provides a useful lesson for companies and individuals under attack from hackers today.
Tonbridge Castle, next to the River Medway, is recognised as one of England’s finest examples of a Motte and Bailey Castle. The substantial stone-built walls are an obvious deterrent to attackers, but the knights did not rest on their laurels and stop there, and nor should a modern-day business person be complacent once they have their favourite password in place.
The trick to good defence, either from Norman marauders or contemporary cyber criminals, is layered. Consider for a moment the features of Tonbridge Castle which contribute to its security:
– Moat
– River Medway
– Hilly position
– Thick, high walls
– Crenellations where soldiers can repel invaders on ladders while shielded by stone fortifications
– Deep foundations thwarting diggers who seek to undermine the castle to gain entry from below
– Portcullis blocking battering rams
– Arrow slits allowing archers to target their enemies without exposing themselves to attack
– Murder holes; if the attackers get past the gate, they need to pass through a narrow passageway where they run the gauntlet of trying to avoid boiling oil raining down on them.
Of course the soldiers themselves would be kitted out with chainmail and armour and armed to the teeth with weapons.
Just as Mediaeval castles have layers of protection, your computers also need more than one defence against today’s cyber criminals.
How can you turn your business IT into a modern-day fortress?
Here are just a few aspects to consider:
– Strong, unique passwords
– Physical security – locks, safes, CCTV
– Firewalls
– Multifactor authentication
– Antivirus protection
– Antispam software
– Educating your users about the threats and dangers
– Backups of data, ideally backup and disaster recovery
– Ensuring your computers are kept up-to-date and maintained.
The threat landscape is continuously evolving and no-one is immune. According to a recent survey of business leaders by Opinium, 63% of small businesses (with 1-49 members of staff) reported being a victim of cyber crime in 2018 and 32% of micro businesses (with fewer than 10 employees) were affected. The impact can be devastating, both in terms of data loss and financially.
It’s time to take a leaf out of the Tonbridge Castle’s architects’ book and build up your business’ protection. Talk to Computer Troubleshooters today to arrange a security review and learn how you too can be the gatekeeper of a fortress!
At Computer Troubleshooters, we implement measures to protect our business customers from hackers, detecting malware before it hits your systems and educating your users to raise their guard. We’re happy to review your company’s IT setup and security arrangements – give us a call.
Computer Troubleshooters
01732 300064
