In today’s digital age, the online and social media footprint of individuals and organisations plays a crucial role in shaping their public image. However, this seemingly harmless trail of information can pose serious threats, especially when it falls into the wrong hands. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and non-profit organisations, understanding the potential dangers of their online presence is paramount to cyber resilience.
The Digital Trail: Unveiling the Risks
Your online footprint, created through various internet activities and interactions, holds more significance than you might realise. While some of this information is used innocuously for targeted advertising or personalised online experiences, other details can be leveraged by cyber attackers during the initial stages of an attack.
During the information-gathering phase, hackers can exploit publicly available data to enhance the precision of their scams. The information needed for this phase is surprisingly more straightforward than one might expect and is easy for hackers to exploit. Basic details like employee names and email addresses can serve as a launching pad for cybercriminals seeking unauthorised access.
Mitigating the Risks: The importance of Awareness
To shield against potential cyber threats, organisations need to be acutely aware of the information that is publicly accessible. Even if it’s not feasible to keep certain details private, understanding the potential risks associated with the exposed information is crucial.
In response to this growing concern, the Online and Social Media Footprint Assessment is a proactive measure that organisations can take. These assessments, conducted by ethical hackers, employ advanced techniques to scour the internet for publicly available information about an organisation or its key personnel. This includes data from social media platforms, news articles, blogs, and public registers.
The Role of Ethical Hackers: Unveiling Vulnerabilities
The Online and Social Media Footprint assessment is conducted by ethical hackers who have extensive experience and knowledge, they utilise sophisticated tools to collect comprehensive information about an organisations online presence. This assessment encompasses:
Social Media Analysis: Scrutinizing various social media platforms to identify information that could be exploited.
News and Blog Security: Delving into news articles and blogs to uncover any publicly available data that might pose a risk.
Public Registers and Companies House Examination: Analysing records available in public registers and Companies House to complete the picture.
Examination results: Knowledge is power
Upon completion of the Online and Social Media Footprint Assessment, organisations receive a detailed report. This report serves as a comprehensive overview of the information uncovered, allowing organisations to make informed decisions about managing potential risks. After, practical steps are recommended for risk mitigation. The vulnerabilities are prioritised based on severity and exploitability, empowering organisations to take targeted actions to enhance their cyber resilience.
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