How to protect your ERP solution from cyber attacks

A number of recent high-profile cyber-attacks have put the issue of security back under the microscope. Unfortunately for small businesses, it’s not only large organisations that are being targeted.

We spoke with Barry Gleeson, Head of IT at Milner Browne, to get some essential tips your business can use to protect its data and prevent your business being under threat from malicious viruses.

“With SAP Business One or our B1 Apps range you’ve already got a high level of protection. But it’s important to remember that your ERP solution is just a part of a collection of resources your businesses uses on a daily basis. There are other operating systems, web services, database systems and programming frameworks that make up your infrastructure. Quite often, attacks happen to this infrastructure which have nothing to do with an ERP solution,” Barry explained.

So, what can organisations do to maximise their overall security? Here are Barry’s top five tips:

1. 1. Back up your data

The most important thing to do to ensure you’re protected against viruses such as Ransomeware is to ensure you have a full and complete backup of data. Create a regular backup schedule to an external drive or a backup service – one that is not assigned a drive letter or is disconnected when it is not updating files. It’s also worth encrypting sensitive data.

2. 2. Look out for suspicious files

Keep an eye out for strange looking attachments. If you don’t know the sender or something sounds too good to be true, don’t open the email or the attachment! Certain viruses send out mail from infected machines. These emails look like they have been sent from your contacts but they actually contain a virus. If it looks suspicious, it’s always best to check with your IT department before you open anything.

3. 3. Use the latest patches

Viruses love outdated software to find a way in to your system and infrastructure.  You can significantly increase your security levels if you practice updating your software regularly. Always enable automatic updates or go directly to the software vendor’s website when updating as some viruses like to disguise themselves as software notifications. Even if you have to pay for a patch update, it’ll cost you significantly less than if you’re held ransom by a hacker.

4. 4. Use a trusted security suite and firewall

Having these two layers of protection is important. If you’re infected with a new virus that gets past your initial anti-virus software, it may still be blocked by a firewall when it attempts to connect with a server. Have as many layers of protection as possible. Obviously, you should make sure all passwords are strong and encrypted. And that your users only have access to data they require for their role.

5. 5. Pull the plug

If you think you’ve opened a virus, help minimise the damage by immediately disconnecting from your WiFi connection or unplug you network cable. Don’t waste a second in disconnecting from your network or server. If you act quickly you may be able to stop the communication between virus and server before it finishes encrypting your files. Always contact your IT department before reconnecting and notify them of what you think may have happened.

Next steps

Want to find out if you’re on the latest patch level version of SAP Business One? Go into your solution, open the ‘Help’ option in the menu, then navigate to ‘About’ and you’ll find details of your SAP Business One Version and patch level number. You can also get in touch with your account manager if you’re thinking about upgrading.