Closed for three weeks
A mid-sized firm that makes car parts is hit by ransomware (software that locks data and demands money). Orders stop. Staff cannot log in. Customers go to a rival.
Three weeks later the systems are back. The firm has lost money, customers and trust.
Why does this happen, and what does the firm have to protect?
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Cybercrime | A crime done using computers or networks, such as fraud, hacking or ransomware. |
| Ransomware | Software that locks your data and demands money to unlock it. |
| Personal data | Any information about a living person who can be named or found. |
| Data subject | The person the data is about. |
| Commercially sensitive | Information that would help a rival or harm the firm if it got out. |
| Cloud service | A service run on another company's servers and reached over the internet. |
| Reputation | What people think of the firm. |
| Password policy | Written rules for how passwords are made, kept and changed. |
| Network | Computers and devices linked so they can share data. |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can say what an organisation protects, and explain the financial, reputational and legal harm of a failure.
Starter: the work so far
Have a go
Starter: the work so far
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Cycle 1: what an organisation protects
A firm relies on four kinds of thing. Each can be attacked.
- All systems and devices: servers, laptops, phones and the network that joins them.
- Cloud services and their availability: if the cloud tool stops, work stops.
- Company data, including commercially sensitive plans and prices.
- Personnel data and data subjects: staff and customer records.
Passwords for people and for systems
A password policy covers people and machines.
For people: long passwords, no sharing, MFA, and a new password after a leak.
For systems: programs also have passwords. Never keep the factory one. Never write it in notes. Keep it in a safe store, and change it when a person who knew it leaves.
Check: what is protected
Have a go
Check: what is protected
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.