MIDAS Travel prioritises cyber security to protect business and clients

Given October is #cyberawarenessmonth, we’d like to talk about our commitments to cyber security; namely protecting networks, data and infrastructure, ensuring our corporate travel clients and our business are safe.

It’s no secret that cyber attacks are on the rise, in fact Check Point Research(1) suggests that 2021 saw “an increase of 50% more attacks per week on corporate networks than in 2020. That’s 925 cyber-attacks a week per organisation, globally”. This upward trend demonstrates the need for tighter protection and security controls from all sizes of business, including those in our SME client base.

The travel industry as a whole is one of the most impacted industries globally, with “digital fraud attempts rising 155.9% in the last year, according to a forthcoming report by Phocuswright”(2).

So, to demonstrate our ongoing commitment, MIDAS Travel is certified on the Cyber Essentials Scheme with our status listed on the NCSC (National Cyber Security Centre) database(3). Here are details of what that certification entails and how it helps to protect us against cyber-attacks.

What is the Cyber Essentials Scheme?

The Cyber Essentials scheme is a framework that helps organisations demonstrate their commitment to cyber security. It is backed by the UK Government and supported by the NCSC (National Cyber Security Centre).

The framework focuses on protecting against 80% of common cyber attacks with five basic security controls. Certification process is managed by the IASME Consortium (IASME), which licenses certification bodies to carry out Cyber Essentials.

What does Cyber Essentials cover?

Firewalls and routers
Software updates
Malware protection
Access control
Secure configuration

What are the benefits of Cyber Essentials?

Adopting the five basic security controls and achieving certification, ensures that MIDAS Travel reduces the impact of such threats as;

Phishing attacks
Malware
Ransomware
Password-guessing attacks
Network attacks

According to a 2022 report by Verizon(4), “82% of data breaches involved a human element – incidents include ‘misconfigured databases enabling cyber criminals to access systems”. This is why MIDAS Travel ensures our team members are knowledgeable and aware of the part they play in keeping our networks safe, through access to information, regular updates and training.

By following government advice and working with experts, we ensure that cyber security remains a high priority across the business. Adrian Burkle, Head of IT, comments; “The Cyber Essentials certification forms part of our larger quality commitment to our clients. As both the threat and potential impact of cyber attacks continue to rise, we have a duty to ourselves and to our clients to ensure we have the best safeguarding measures in place”.

To read about how we assure our systems and processes, click here.