The threat landscape is not slowing down
Hong Kong businesses face a rapidly escalating cyber threat environment. According to the Hong Kong Police's Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau, cybercrime incidents have increased year-on-year, with ransomware and business email compromise (BEC) attacks becoming the most costly categories.
Yet when Brocent's security team conducts IT assessments for new clients, we consistently encounter the same avoidable gaps.
1. No multi-factor authentication on email and remote access
Compromised credentials remain the leading cause of breaches. If your Microsoft 365 accounts or VPN do not require MFA, you are one phishing email away from a major incident. Enabling MFA takes hours, costs little, and blocks the vast majority of credential-based attacks.
2. Unpatched systems and software
Attackers exploit known vulnerabilities, most of which have been publicly disclosed and patched. Yet many SME environments run Windows versions that are months behind on updates. Automated patch management is a core part of any Managed IT contract.
3. No tested backup and recovery plan
Businesses think they have backups. Then they get hit with ransomware and discover that the backup was last tested two years ago, stored on the same network as the encrypted files, or had been silently failing for months. A backup is only as good as the last successful, tested restore.
4. Weak email security controls
Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks caused significant financial losses globally. Basic DMARC, DKIM, and SPF configuration on your email domain, combined with managed email security, dramatically reduces this risk.
5. No security awareness training
Most successful attacks involve a human element: someone clicking a link, opening an attachment, or providing credentials to a fake login page. A regular phishing simulation and security awareness programme is one of the most cost-effective investments available.
Brocent offers a free IT Risk Assessment to identify your most critical gaps.
