What can you do to minimize your risk of exposure to computer related fraud or abuse?
A few simple precautions can go a long way towards reducing or eliminating the chances
of you being a victim of computer related fraud or abuse. Outlined below are some common
sense measures which will help you get started, and Cyber Agents are able to provide more
detailed assistance with planning and preventative measures if required.
Gain a better understanding of your systems
You cannot hope to control the complex business in your organization unless you have a
detailed understanding of how it all works. You need to know the strengths and weaknesses
of the internal controls on which you rely for the accuracy and completeness of your processing.
If you have let things slip away from you and fear that it is too late to start redressing your lack
of overall understanding, make a start now. Start by building up a high level overview of your
systems and procedures, then pick off each discrete system for analysis in more detail. Once
you have gained a better understanding, test and compare it with your staff's perceptions of
how the systems work; you will be surprised by the differences.
Don’t pinch a penny just to lose it all
Cutting costs by cutting back on essential controls is extremely dangerous and
could cost you
dearly in the long run. The short term gain in productivity is not worth the risk of exposing your
company to potential fraud or the loss of vital business systems. If you delegate responsibility,
check that there are not any potential conflict of interests, and investigate carefully, document
checks on what is happening. Do not set policy with procedures or systems documentation on
the grounds of commercial expediency. You will leave yourself wide open to being held ransom
by the people that make themselves essential to the smooth running of your business.