Businesses need to protect themselves as uncertainty is prevalent these days. There are many threats out there, and the biggest ones include cybersecurity threats. Cyber thieves would be able to steal your business information, and you might not know of it until it’s too late. Many IT companies work together to make sure that such threats are controlled, and they even hire cybersecurity companies that specialize in limiting the possibility of these threats. But it would be better to know what you are facing. Here are some common cybersecurity threats that you might face.
Malware and Ransomware
One of the more common attacks on your security is to have malicious software installed on your business computers. There are two main ways that this type of software can endanger your business. For one, there is basic malware. This is the secret installation of dangerous software. This is usually through e-mail file attachments. Careless employees who click on it will install the malware without their knowledge. The malware’s main purpose is to collect confidential information for later intrusions.
Ransomware is much more noticeable. This is malicious software installed in the same way, but they do not try to hide. Their main job is to completely encrypt the entire content of your server with a public key. The key is in the control of the cybercriminal, and they will then threaten your data. You won’t be able to access your data unless you pay the criminal. If you don’t pay, then you will have to try to recover the data yourself.
The best way to protect from this threat is to teach your employees about better security. Many of these malware schemes require your employees to open an e-mail attachment or visit a site. With the right security protocols, your employees can stop this from happening.
DDoS Attacks
Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks are a major threat that you should worry about. Many businesses have an online presence that opens them up to attack. These attacks are attempts to overwhelm your website. Most websites can only handle a few hundred people at a given time. With the help botnets, which are networks of computers under their control, cybercriminals then try to access the website. With enough computers accessing the site, the performance of your site starts to drop. This can mean slower loading times and even the entire website crashes.
The main reason for a DDoS attack is to ruin your business. With many businesses becoming dependent on their online channel, a website being down for several hours can result in millions of dollars in losses for your company. Besides that, a DDoS attack can be part of another attack. Taking down your server can leave you vulnerable to other forms of attack.
Protecting yourself from DDoS attacks can involve several factors. For one, you need to have up-to-date software on your system. Many operating systems have a way to dent these attacks and handle the overwhelming amount of requests. Installing a firewall can also help prevent these attacks, stopping the multiple intrusions.
Phishing and Spear Phishing
Another common cyber-attack is phishing. This is when cybercriminals send out e-mails pretending to be trusted sources. These can be banks, phone services, or others. For example, one of your employees might receive an e-mail that pretends to be from management. There is an attachment in the e-mail that it says they need to open. When your employee opens it, they then have a malware program installed on their computer.
The content of the e-mail may not be an attachment. Some phishing e-mails have links to online sites that pretend to be legitimate ones. It then tricks your employee into inputting information that they have. For example, your employee can click a link then go to a site that looks like your website. When they enter their log-in credentials, the cybercriminal now has a username and password that they can use.
Better training can go a long way to protecting your employees from this type of trickery.
Corporate Account Take Over
A devastating on your business is a corporate account take over. With banks now allowing for digital transactions, cybercriminals can take over your business account pretending to be you. They usually steal your password through a variety of means like phishing and other methods. When they have your information, they then empty your accounts.
Cyber attacks can be a major threat to your business. If you don’t take the right precautions, you might end up losing your company because of the damage it does. Work with professional security companies so that you can have a more secure business.