Cybercriminality

The role of the Transition Manager in the face of cybercrime

Cybercrime is becoming more and more recurrent in business. To fight against this scourge, the consequences of which can be irreversible, a professional transition manager can provide their expertise .

Under what conditions can an Interim Manager intervene in the face of cybercrime ? How is his intervention going? Find out how an Interim Manager can support a company to fight against cybercrime operations.

Some examples of corporate cybercrime operations

• Phishing

Phishing consists of simulating the sending of an email, an electronic messaging service in order to deceive Internet users.

This operation to steal personal data or break into an email account is increasingly common in business.

Phishing is common on the internet and comes in different forms: an email containing an attachment infected with a virus, a fake home page or a link leading to a web page where a user must enter credentials to access their online account. .

In business, phishing is keen to become more and more common.

It is therefore essential for companies to make their employees aware of the methods to adopt to detect fraud attempts and protect themselves against them.

In this context, the intervention of an external professional specializing in phishing issues is often necessary: by alerting employees to the methods to be put in place to avoid phishing, by implementing the actions required to fight against acts of cybercrime, cyberbullying professionals find their place. An Interim Manager specializing in cybercrime issues is the person best suited to deal with this type of need.

• Cyberbullying

It is not always easy to detect the reality of the phenomenon and to appreciate the threat it represents for the image and reputation of companies, both financially and in terms of the loyalty of their Customers and the investor confidence.

For the moment, it is clear that even if the cyberbullying of companies remains a phenomenon that is not really measurable, it is spreading exponentially.

Companies that are victims of cyberbullying, false rumors or bad digital buzz must react quickly to deal with these attacks.

This is why, here again, it is advisable to call on a professional specializing in cyberbullying issues: this one will analyze the situation, and put in place a policy to respond to the cyber threats of which the company is a victim.

Legal proceedings can be initiated: cyberharassment of a company is indeed punishable. In practice, these procedures are very rare, due to companies’ poor knowledge of the phenomenon. This is why a specialist in digital law can bring his expertise to regulate the phenomenon within very short deadlines.

• Data diversion

Corporate data theft is a common cybercrime operation that can have dramatic economic consequences for a business.

The objective of hackers is often to demand a high ransom in exchange for the return of this data.

In 2020, the IT security group Sophos published a study on the costs of an attack of this type : Sophos estimates the total cost of a cyberattack at €420,000, if we take into account operational costs, the downtime and loss of revenue.

It is therefore much wiser and less costly, in the event of ransomware, to handle the problem yourself or to delegate it to someone outside the company.

Three tips to reduce cybercrime in the workplace

• Tip n°1: Supervise the activities of your employees

It is important to supervise the activities of your employees without making them feel under permanent control: asking them to maintain professional secrecy and having them sign non-competition clauses are obviously necessary actions. You can also ask them to follow specific rules, such as having a work phone, never giving out their personal details, etc.

• Tip #2: Monitor company data exchanges

Reduce the risk of computer attacks by identifying threats and implementing protective measures to prevent external data transfers.

Make sure that your IT infrastructure is secure and that the security measures in place comply with your institution’s rules.

Your employees must be made aware of the issue. For example, it is strongly recommended to avoid the use of their professional telephone and computer for personal purposes.

The more exchanges with the outside are limited, the more the risks of cybercrime will be reduced.

• Tip #3: Install a security tool on your computers

It is essential to make your employees aware of this issue and, if necessary, to supervise employees’ activities on the Internet.

It is very simple to limit access to certain sites using codes or software.

But the wisest thing is often to trust your employees and explain to them the importance of the issues.

Education is generally the most effective way to limit the damage!

The role of an Interim Manager specializing in cybercrime

The role of a Transition Manager delegated to handle cybercrime issues is to maintain IT security at an optimal level.

To effectively handle issues related to cybercrime, IT expertise is obviously essential, but knowledge of company law is also necessary, in order to put in place the necessary actions if legal proceedings must be initiated.

This type of profile is relatively rare. A ready-made solution is therefore to call on an interim management firm to take charge of the problem .

The Delegated Transition Manager in your company will intervene at various levels to handle the problem of cybercrime:

• Assessment of the situation: Initially, the Transition Manager establishes a precise diagnosis in order to determine the weak points and the problems to be solved. To identify the pirate(s), it is necessary in particular to establish a chronology of the facts.
• Creation of a strategy: the Transition Manager defines a strategy to attack cybercrime . For example, in the event of phishing, it defines internal procedures to identify hackers and set up legal proceedings if necessary.
• Raising employee awareness: the Interim Manager can, for example, set up a training plan defined to empower employees and encourage them to avoid external exchanges from their professional equipment.

A transition manager can intervene to reinforce cybersecurity actions within the company , train employees and set up tools to fight against cybercrime.