SMEs vulnerable to cyber attacks

do your homework beFore you apply For a job: an interview with ryan mansour, senior associate with benchmark international

Ryan Mansour is a Senior Associate for a Merger’s & Acquisitions firm, called Benchmark International. “My role is primarily to lead a team of professionals in preparing for a project to be presented to the market. I need to ensure that all responsible teams meet their timelines, and the quality is up to standard. My role includes client relationships and managing expectations.”

Benchmark International is one of the world’s leading merger and acquisitions specialists specializing in the sale of midmarket companies. With offices throughout the world, we are in touch with all the major acquirers and consolidators who are constantly seeking both on and off market opportunities across all sectors. Our unique and dynamic international offering presents our clients with unparalleled global coverage, allowing them access through our exclusive databases and business intelligence facilities to both international markets and local representation. Our clients include entrepreneurs and owner managed businesses.

Benchmark have used the Boston City Campus Graduate Support Services department with great success, and it is for this reason they have continued the mutually beneficial relationship!

The types of positions they have filled include 2 Outreach Analyst positions, Reception Position, and Point of Contact Assistant. Ryan continues, praising the department, “We have been absolutely blown away by this experience. Jeannette has been so exceptional in assisting us to find the right candidates for the role. She ensures they meet the requirements of the role and that they have a good personality. She is VERY responsive on email and her turn-around time is better than that of a recruitment company.”

Ryan speaks highly of the Graduate Services Department, both in terms of the service they offer to corporates who have vacancies to fill, but also in terms of the guiding and mentoring the department offers to Boston Graduates. “This programme is so incredible that it allows students to potentially find employment opportunities. Students are offered such a unique service at no extra cost to them. I would without a doubt recommend corporates to fill their workplace placement opportunities.”

Jeannette Campbell, Head of the department says, “The Graduate Support Services Office is mandated to provide a range of free services to all Boston Graduates in the first year after graduating. We are confident these services will enhance our students’ journey into the world of work by providing them with the tools they need to assist them in securing employment. These services are offered to our graduates who have completed any programme at Boston.”

Jeanette obtains very specific details from corporates that she deals with, including what qualities they will be looking for in their new recruits. Ryan says that for Benchmark, they will look for “Three important qualities in a new recruit? Ambition, professionalism and eagerness to learn”. And the type of person they would like to hire? Personality type required for success at Benchmark international? Someone with “Patience, resilience and tenacity in working in high-pressure situations with the ability to handle a rigorous schedule of deadlines.

A common lament from new Graduates is that corporates require experience before they will hire someone. What does Ryan think about experience vs training?

“Training is key when deciding on placing a candidate. Experience comes with time, but I employ for attitude and teach the skill.”

A recent report by international cyber security company Surfshark indicates that South Africa has the sixth highest rate of cyber-crime victims worldwide.

Consumers have been warned to remain vigilant when visiting websites and making online transactions.

For small businesses, this is a warning to avoid becoming complacent when it comes to web security.

Head of 1-grid.com web hosting company Thomas Vollrath says small businesses are attractive targets for cybercriminals because they often lack the security precautions larger organisations use.

“Securing your website is not complicated, there are a variety of affordable and user-friendly security solutions for small businesses to invest in,” Vollrath says.

Anti-virus provider Kaspersky said in 2022 SMEs faced a 69% increase in Password Stealing Ware detections. They are also prone to internet attacks, web pages that redirect to exploits, and other malicious programmes.

In recent months 1-grid has also seen a significant increase in malware, often included in email at- tachments, which can compromise passwords and personal data when opened.

“Ignoring web security can leave businesses open to attacks, which can negatively impact their reputation and profits. In some cases, it can even have legal consequences. An SSL certificate protects customer data by encrypting information like credit card details, logins, and other sensitive information, which prevents it from being accessed by unauthorised people on the internet,” Vollrath says.

In addition to protecting customers, an SSL certificate also helps to increase Google ranking. Google favours HTTPS-encrypted websites and will rank them higher in search results. As a result, consumers are more likely to find the brand when searching for deals on products and services. Domains that are not HTTPS secure are flagged by Google, which discourages consumers from making payments or sharing their data on the website.

“If consumers know that their information is protected they are more likely to do business with you. Additional layers of security like two-factor authentication and one-time pins help to get customers convinced that you ensure that their data is safe,” Vollrath adds.