AN ANTRIM-headquartered IT company has increased the online security of its customer base in the north due to fear of cyber-attacks from Russia.
Outsource Solutions advised customers yesterday that that internet traffic including website visits and emails would be blocked between Russia and its customer accounts in the UK – unless there were specific legitimate business reasons for the channels to remain open.
Outsource, which provides a full recovery, security and performance-enhancing IT service confirmed it is also stepping up its own protection.
Founder and CEO of Outsource, Terry Moore said the risk of cyber-attacks from Russian based hackers could increase significantly as diplomatic relations between the UK and the eastern giant deteriorate.
“The decision to halt traffic between our customers and Russian-based IP addresses is purely precautionary, but we feel it is sensible and pragmatic given the current unfolding situation. Of course, any customer who does not want this enhanced security protection can contact us directly to have this upgrade removed.”
“We will also be immediately increasing the levels of our own ethical hacking to ensure our infrastructure and systems are best place to deal with any heightened cyber aggression aimed at interrupting east/west email or web activity.”
Outsource was established 18 years ago and employs around 30 staff across offices in Antrim, Belfast, Cookstown, Dublin and Edinburgh. Its customers include leading names from the hospitality, engineering, legal, professional services, manufacturing, energy, financial services and food sectors.
