The modern world is online from our everyday lives and social interactions to the way we run our businesses. The internet has opened up seemingly endless opportunities for communication and development, but it’s also brought a whole new world of criminality and risk. Cybersecurity threats can range from the mildly irritating or frustrating to attacks which threaten your data security, finances, and your reputation. However, many of these attacks are absolutely avoidable if you have the right protection and security procedures in place. In this guide, we’ll cover the most common cyber threats you need to be aware of and, crucially, how you can avoid them.
Phishing
Phishing is usually carried out via email. You or your staff may receive an email which may appear to be from someone you know or a business you recognize. In the email, you’ll be asked to take some sort of action such as sending money or sensitive information which can compromise your business. Sometimes, the email may ask you to click a link which is actually a harmful virus.
The key to avoiding phishing scams lies with you and your employees; you need to be vigilant when emails arrive which request information or appear suspicious. Never download attachments or click links from senders you do not recognize.
Malvertising
Malvertising is the placement of what appears to be an online advert on a website but is actually malware which will attack your system. In some cases, you don’t even need to click the advert; the act of loading the web page is enough to infect your computer.
To protect your computer from Malvertising, you need to ensure you carry out updates and install protection software.
Ransomware
Ransomware can be devastating to businesses and can be powerful enough to take down huge corporations and institutions. For example, in May 2017 the WannaCry ransomware attacked Microsoft Windows operating systems which had not carried out the latest update. It encrypted data and demanded ransom payments from major organizations such as the NHS and the BBC. While this attack took place on an international stage, ransomware can affect businesses and organizations of any size.
To defend your business against ransomware, you need to ensure that all your software and operating systems are up to date and that you have a back-up solution in case your data is attacked. You need to have a policy with a ransomware action plan in place, so your staff knows what to do should an attack occur. Consider a professional protection system such as McAfee Endpoint Security which protects a business’ mobile devices from cyber attacks.
Brute Force Attacks
A brute force attack is when a hacker attempts to access your files by working out your passwords. They don’t do this manually; there are tools and bots which take just a few hours to try thousands of passwords. It’s crucial to ensure that your passwords are complex and certainly don’t include your personal information such as date of birth. Use different passwords for different programs and accounts. A mix of numbers and letters is best and consider using unusual phrases rather than single words.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
