My role often involves assuring new technology implementations to "make them safe from hackers". The hacker in a hoodie is a popular myth that excites boards and media interest alike.
The truth about cyber security is that it is much simpler and much more mundane than that. 72% of big businesses reported a cyber security breach in 2018 according to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport - many of which could be avoided with some simple steps to good cyber hygiene.
If you are concerned about cyber security in your organisation, ask your information security and/or IT security teams whether they:
1) Promptly apply software updates and patches when released;
2) Have implemented the latest malware protection;
3) Have built Firewalls with appropriate configurations;
4) Are restricting IT administrator and access rights to specific users; and
5) Have defined security controls on company-owned devices (tablets, laptops, scanners, mobile phones)
If they can't answer these questions (or answer no to any of them), then it's time to consider the potential impacts of a successful cyber attack on your business operations - and move fast to get expert advice on how you can defend yourselves.