(Written by Expera IT – Originally printed here on their website, reprinted with permission)
The rate of cyber-attacks has significantly increased over the past few years. Businesses of all sizes are at risk of becoming victims of them, which is why it’s crucial that every business owner and leader is aware of the most common cyberthreats impacting the business world today. Being aware of common cyberthreats and developing plans to prevent them is the best way to protect your business, customers and employees from cybercriminals. These criminals’ tactics will improve as technology continues advancing, but cyber security defences will as well. Knowing exactly what you’re up against with cyber-attacks and creating the proper safeguards will protect your business. If you’re new to the idea of cyber security or need an update on the common threats that could impact your business, we’ve got you covered. Below, you will find the most common types of cyberattacks out there and how to protect your business from them.
Malware
Malware has been around since the dawn of the Internet and has remained a consistent problem. It is any intrusive software developed to steal data and damage or destroy computers and computer systems. Malware is an extensive type of cyber-attack, and many subcategories belong to it, including viruses, spyware, adware and Trojan viruses. One type of malware that has lately been used more frequently is ransomware. Ransomware threatens to publish sensitive information or blocks access to necessary data unless a sum of money is paid to the cybercriminal who developed it.
Unfortunately, malware can be detrimental to nearly every operation of your business, so you should do two essential things to prevent it from affecting your company. First, you should install the latest anti-malware programs. If you hire a services provider, they will take care of this for you. If not, you’ll need to find anti-malware that works best for your system. You should also train your team about these risks and ensure they are aware not to click on any suspicious links, websites or files that could be dangerous.
Phishing
Have you ever received an email asking for sensitive information that looked official, but something just wasn’t quite right? Chances are it was probably a phishing scam. Phishing occurs when cybercriminals send official-looking messages to individuals, posing as another organization, in an attempt to receive personal information. Falling for a phishing scam can quickly result in you becoming a victim of identity fraud. The results can be substantially worse if a business falls for the scam.
So, how do you best prepare for and protect your team against phishing scams? Utilize employee cyber security training so they can spot the warning signs. The actual email will usually line up differently from whom the cybercriminal is trying to represent. Also, most organizations will not request private information over email. Common sense will prevail over phishing scams.
Distributed Denial of Service
DDoS attacks can bring your business to a standstill. These attacks occur when malicious parties overload servers with user traffic, causing them to lag or shut down since they are unable to handle incoming requests. If your business falls victim to this kind of attack, your employees might not be able to access key functions required to do their jobs, and customers may not be able to use your website or purchase items from you.
DDoS attacks are very difficult to thwart, and a determined cybercriminal can lock up your websites and networks for days on end. You’ll have to identify malicious traffic and prevent access before it can cause damage. Hiring an MSP is your best bet to prevent DDoS attacks. If a DDoS attack is successful, you’ll probably have to take your servers off-line to fix the issue.
Password Attacks
If a cybercriminal gets your password or another employee’s password, this is the easiest way for them to access your valuable information. They may attempt to guess the passwords themselves or use a phishing scam to gain access. It is vital that you enable multifactor authentication for your employees and require complex passwords so you can defend your company against password attacks.
Now that you know the most common forms of cyber-attacks currently happening, you can take the necessary precautions to protect your business, employees, and customers.
