Latest News

Deleting files and data from a computer or device seems like the easiest action to take, but when you empty your recycle bin are you really erasing your data from your computer/device? The answer is no. When you delete a file from your computer or laptop you are only deleting its reference so that the computer itself cannot locate it anymore, but the data is still there! It’s like deleting the index of a book without deleting the actual book. You are deleting the number of the pages but not the content. Can deleted data be recovered? Yes, it can and it’s quite easy to do by using the right software. This puts your data at […]

94% of organisations have experienced a phishing attack in the last 12 months. Mimecast has released its State of the Email Security Report 2019 with findings on the increased number of cyber-attacks carried out through phishing emails. The top five industries impacted by impersonation attacks were financial, manufacturing, professional services, science/technology and transportation. Phishing emails are still the most successful method of gaining access to a network – 94% of respondents admitted to having experienced phishing and spear-phishing attacks in the last 12 months and 55% reported seeing an increase in that same period. Human error still plays a role in phishing attacks, Mimecast found that out of 5,000 employees at least 824 opened and clicked links […]

In the last few years, the number of ransomware attacks towards organisations has dramatically increased and experts say that they are becoming more sophisticated and more dangerous. Ransomware is malware intended to deny access to a computer system or data until a ransom is paid. Ransomware typically spreads through phishing emails or by unknowingly visiting an infected website. So, what can you do to protect your organisation from ransomware? Here are some top tips… Be aware of phishing emails – we cannot stress this enough. Phishing emails are one of the primary channels through which attackers infect your computer system. Make sure that your organisation has good email protection systems in place and that your staff […]

In this day and age, cyber-attacks have become one of the most concerning threat to organisations – causing a spike in investments in cyber security solutions. However, in the last few years, the level of sophistication of cyber-attacks has increased, making them a threat to both infrastructures and people. For example, an attacker is now able to shut down CCTV, allowing a break-in to go undetected, or Ransomware on a hospital network can prevent doctors from accessing patient records and providing necessary care. With cyber-attacks evolving and becoming more dangerous, IT teams have started to realise that cyber security tools alone are not enough to guarantee business resilience. For this reason, integration and collaboration and business continuity management […]

In today’s evolving and unpredictable cyber landscape, cyber security monitoring is a crucial part of cyber security management. Cyber security monitoring involves collecting data from a range of security systems and analysing it with threat intelligence to identify signs of compromise. Monitoring systems are based on the principle of baselining, which is the process of establishing an agreed level of typical network performance. This principle plays an important role in cyber security monitoring because any network behaviour that falls outside what is considered regular behaviour will be analysed to identify if it could be malicious or not. This process enables proactive detection of cyber threats – a key element of a successful cyber security strategy. Research […]

You are confident that your own network and systems are highly available and secure from cyber-attack, but have you considered whether those in your supply chain can say the same? Hackers ‘favourite’ targets are supply chains. Given the interconnected nature of the supply chain, a hacker can hack one or two nodes and potentially compromise an entire organisation. In a new study by Accenture, experts found that seven in ten businesses are vulnerable to cyber-attacks through their supply chains and only 29% of business and IT executives globally know how their partners are protecting themselves in terms of cyber security. As always, the numbers are concerning and as supply chains become more and more ‘techy’ cyber threats […]

Passwords are the oldest way to establish identity. The benefits of passwords outweigh their limitations, which is why many attempts to eliminate the use of passwords completely have been unsuccessful. Used carefully they can be both secure and convenient. However, passwords can be a double-edged sword. They can be very effective when used properly, but they can also become a threat if misused – and this is where your employees play a critical role. In order to work properly, passwords need to be ‘strong’, meaning that they need to be long and contain mixed characters (letters, numbers and symbols). A passphrase – a sentence that contains uppercase and lowercase characters, punctuation or symbols, and numbers – […]

In 2018, UK financial institutions saw the number of data breaches increase five times compared to the year before. With major retails banks such as Santander, RBS, Barclays and Tesco Bank being the victims. Financial institutions make the perfect target for cyber criminals given the great amount of money they manage and the sensitivity of the data they hold. Cyber threats have become one of the biggest fears for boards because it is harder to prepare for them compared to ‘traditional challenges.’ The cyber threats faced by financial organisation are almost ‘unique’ compared to other industries and as technology becomes more sophisticated, so hacking techniques evolve and change. Here are some of the rising cyber threats… […]

They say that having an internal IT Disaster Recovery expert is the best way to protect your business from any disruptive event. However, when it comes to small businesses, relying on one single employee can do more harm than good. Managed IT Disaster Recovery services can save you money in the long-run, here is why… Bespoke management A specialised IT Disaster Recovery service provider, like Covenco Recovery Services (CRS), will take your business, your network, your budget and your needs into consideration and suggest the best solutions and systems for your organisation. Systems Updates Remember the malware attack on the NHS? That was mainly caused by a missed upgrade on their IT system. An experienced IT […]

Here are some of the most common questions about Veeam Backup Office 365 and the new features that come with V3… Why do I need to backup Office 365? Isn’t Microsoft taking care of everything? One of the biggest mistakes that people make is to assume that Microsoft takes care of everything, including backing up their data. They don’t! Microsoft is responsible for the infrastructure so making sure that it is always available for its users. When it comes to data, it’s the users’ responsibility to control it, back it up and if necessary, recover it. What are the risks of not having a backup for Office 365? Without a backup for your Office 365 environment […]

We have talked about the importance of disaster recovery planning many times in our blog posts. We have mentioned why organisations need to plan in case the worst should happen, and we have explained the benefits. What we have not so far focused upon is testing. A recent survey conducted in the UK found that 92% of business have some sort of IT disaster recovery solution in place, but only 59% of these businesses carry out regular tests. These stats are alarming, especially if we consider the magnitude at which cyber threats are growing. For the reasons below and more, testing is a critical process of any disaster recovery plan. First, you need to know if […]

Data Protection and Availability is the theme for this year’s Lunch & Learn events. Covenco Recovery Services is proud to announce the 2019 series of these engaging half-day events which will take place on: 30th April, at The City Centre, London 1st May, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Manchester-Piccadilly 2nd May, National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham  All three of these events will feature presentations by Covenco’s specialist engineers as well as guest speakers from Veeam and other partners. During the sessions, the speakers will share their knowledge, experience and even provide some practical tips that attendees can take back to their organisations. Each event will also involve a panel, which will prompt discussion related to the data protection and availability […]

Disaster Recovery Week (DR Week 2019) will take place from the 25th to  29th March 2019 Covenco Recovery Services is proud to announce its first ever DR Week 2019, an exclusive webinar series featuring current topics and solutions in the disaster recovery and business continuity spectrum. With this brand-new initiative, Covenco Recovery Services aims at engaging with its audience and raising awareness of the importance of disaster recovery for businesses of all sizes, across all industry sectors. DR Week’s webinars will be presented by experts in the field and some of Covenco’s top partners, including Veeam, Nettitude, Quest and the recently added Blancco. The webinars will give the audience the opportunity to learn more about traditional […]

The answer is yes. As organisations evolve online services, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are becoming a real problem. It is now not a case of if a business will be hit by such attack, but when. The size and frequency of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are on the rise – by over 100% year on year – and even large public and private organisations in the UK and Ireland have been affected. For example, the BBC website suffered a DDoS attack and its iPlayer platform was made unavailable for a period. The website for a Manchester casino was also taken offline by a DDoS attack and the owners were contacted by the cyber criminals, who […]

Cyber security breaches are on the rise and becoming more and more sophisticated. According to the UK Government, four in ten businesses and two in ten charities in the UK have experienced a cyber attack in 2018. These numbers are only likely to increase this year, and your organisation might be the next victim. Although we hope this will not be the case, here are some top tips on how to bounce back from a cyber attack. Call in a professional DR and Cyber Security service provider Unless you have an internal cyber security expert, then you will need professional help from an organisation like Covenco Recovery Services, who will be able to assist you every […]