If 2017 was any hint, business owners must take cybersecurity education seriously in 2018.
With emerging cyber threats that make business owners vulnerable, it is necessary for today’s internet savvy to stay educated about the most common and biggest cybersecurity threats out there.
Every business owner should be aware of the cyber threats and vulnerabilities they are at risk for. There are many new cyber threats created every minute, so the task of protecting yourself can seem discouraging. Simple education and keeping up to date with the newest forms of security and cyber threat prevention is one of the best ways to protect your business from the ever-growing cybersecurity threats that exist.
Common Cyber Threats
There are a few forms of cyber threats that are common for businesses. Phishing, drive-by-download, malware, and point-of-sale hacking are the most common cyber threats a business can face. Phishing is when someone posing as a credible source sends an email asking for secure numbers such as a social security number or a bank account number. Many times, a drive-by-download is associated with this type of email and when clicked, it uploads malicious software to the computer being used to open the email. When it comes to phishing and drive-by-downloads, it is best to never click on anything that seems suspicious or unknown. These suspicious and unknown emails and associated links most likely contain malware that can expose all of a business’ critical information. Therefore, it is best to ignore these emails, never click on them, and train employees to do the same.
Cyber Threats of 2017
The year of 2017 saw a good number of emerging cyber threats to businesses. One of the latest cyber threats companies are experiencing is the emergence of crypto-currency. Bitcoin, the most popular among crypto-currencies, has become one of the most used crypto-currencies in the world. With almost any online currency, it can be easy for some hackers to steal this form of money. If you are delving into accepting bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency as a form of payment, you should ensure that your entire business is aware of the risk and uses the proper precautions against theft. The year of 2017 also saw an increase in sophisticated phishing techniques making people and businesses more at risk of falling into a trap of downloading malware to their computers.
Cyber Threats for 2018
Ransomware is one of the biggest cyber threats affecting businesses today. This is when hackers make their way into a company’s system and lock down important parts with strong encryption. The hackers will then demand money to unlock the parts of the system they have locked. Some companies have no choice but to pay these hackers sometimes, especially if they have not backed up this part of their system. In 2017, FedEx and Britain’s National Health Service were just a few companies affected by this type of ransomware. Another popular hacking trick is to use other people’s computer processing power to mine cryptocurrencies. As 2018 has arrived, hackers will become more sophisticated and business owners must guard against such attacks by backing up entire systems of data and putting security measures in place.
Types of Cyber Attacks
There are many cyber threats to business owners with new ones being created all the time. The top 10 cyber threats on the web now are as follows:
- Malware
- Phishing
- Password attacks
- Denial-of-service (DoS) attacks
- “Man in the middle” (MITM)
- Drive-by-downloads
- Malvertising
- Rogue software
- Credential reuse
- Ransomware
A DoS attack is when hackers use multiple computers and send data that will overload the system. MITM attacks can only be put into play when people do not use a password to access their internet service. This is one reason it is important to always use a password for any important applications on your company’s computers. While most people know to use a different password for everything they use, most people do not adhere to this rule. When people ignore this rule, that is when hackers swoop in and take advantage of people’s reused credentials.
Cybersecurity threats to businesses are nothing new and will only get more sophisticated as the years go on. What is new is the way businesses go about implementing security measures to prevent such attacks. It is important for a business owner to stay educated with the different types of cyber threats and vulnerabilities your business could face. By staying up to date on current cybersecurity threats and thinking like a hacker things, business owners will be better equipped to handle the latest and most common cyber threats out there.
