TruckandTrackWinter2018.indd

12 / 76

Truck and Track Winter 2018 12
BUSINESS NEWS
Leading logistics operator, Europa Worldwide Group, is
championing the fight against cybercrime, as figures reveal
cyber criminals are shifting their attention from consumer-
targeted attacks, to the more profitable business sector.
Statistics show that more than 43 per cent of businesses suffered
a cyber breach or attack in the past 12 months and future analysis
reveals that, specifically in the logistics industry, cybercrime could
result in damages amounting to €6 billion by 2020.
Cyber attackers are using a range of scams, most of which involve
asking for money. The most common breaches or cyberattacks are
as a result of fraudulent emails or impersonating the organisation
online, rather than malware attacks. Phishing is a particularly
significant problem. Companies such as Europa also deal with daily
fake digital messages about invoices for fake goods, complaints
about missing consignments and requests for payments.
Rob Ross, Finance Director at Europa Worldwide Group, said:
“According to Government statistics, the average cost of a
cyberattack to a large business is over £9,000, with some costing
significantly more. When global shipping Maersk was hit by a
cyberattack last year, the cost was put at around $300 million.
The sort of figures we’re talking about are obviously substantial –
whether that’s as a result of extorsion or blackmail, legal costs, loss
of revenue from systems failing, reputational damage or falling for
a simple scam.”
Rob continues: “At Europa we want to remain agile even whilst
we are growing rapidly. Reacting fast and effectively to whatever
happens across the whole business is a key focus. As a finance
department, we are at the front line of these particular money-
related demands, but any area of a business could be targeted for
exploitation by criminals.”
While email scamming is the primary method of cyberattacks, it
is by no means the only way in which a company is vulnerable. In
logistics especially, with multiple partners operating in different
countries, cybercriminals will search for and exploit the weakest
link in the supply chain. Buoyed by the kudos and technical
satisfaction which comes from a successful hack, hackers are
constantly developing tools with which to attack organisations,
with little or no regard for size or value.
Richard Litchfield, IT Director at Europa Worldwide Group, is
continually improving security to prevent penetration, but says
it’s an ongoing battle, “The global nature of cybercrime, its fast-
moving pace and the sheer magnitude of the issue means the
situation changes daily asmore threats are developed. We carry out
regular penetration testing and every time a threat is perceived we
re-examine the procedures we have in place, but it’s a continuous
process. So much so that we are employing a full-time member of
staff to take responsibility across the business.”
There are a number of cybercrime issues, the latest being – online
organised crime, with gangs using the dark web to source readily-
available encryption tools to conceal their activities and secondly,
hackers are now offering buy on demand packages, so criminals
can easily source the data they need to attack the company of their
choice. Insider threat is also becoming a more common problem –
staff working from home are having their computers compromised
and staff who leave companies are sharing information.
To combat these issues, Europa would advise companies to take a
pragmatic approach – investing in training and education, so that
all staff members know how to work securely, recognise a threat
and perhaps most importantly – why it matters. Organisations
should also continuously review their processes based on what
they’re facing – improving firewalls, internal password systems etc.
Businesses need to find a balance – putting too many procedures
in place stops the flow and can be detrimental in the long run,
preventing efficiency and profitably.
Europa Worldwide Group is a specialist road, air & sea and
warehouse operator which employs more than 750 staff across 14
sites in the UK, Hong Kong and Belgium.
Taking cybercrime seriously: Europa fights back
DKV Euro Service has expanded its supply network in Austria,
allowing DKV customers to now also use their DKV CARD to
settle fuels and (car) vehicle washes at 77 A1 brand stations
in Austria. Through this expansion, the DKV supply network in
Austria has grown to 1,411 stations.
A1 is operational in Steiermark, Kärnten, Burgenland and Ober-
and Niederösterreich. To easily find the A1 brand stations they
have been added to the DKV APP for iOS,
Windows, and Android smartphones and
tablets, supporting drivers all over Europe
to find fuel stations and vehicle services
stations with DKV acceptance. The stations
have also been added to DKV MAPS, the
comprehensive online service to find the
nearest DKV station and to plan individual
routes throughout Europe.
“With theA1stations,weareaddinga strong
brand to our extensive supply network in
Austria and now offer our customers access
to well over 50% of all petrol stations in the Austrian market. The
A1 stations offer an excellent appearance, are equipped with state-
of-the-art technology and offer high-quality fuels at an attractive
price,” says Neil White, Team Manager UK. “In addition to high-
quality fuels, our customers can also use the DKV CARD to pay for
washing services and other vehicle-related services.”
DKV Euro Service expands supply network in Austria
77 A1 stations added to the DKV supply network