Recent news reports have highlighted the costly impacts of cyber-attacks on businesses, regardless of size. All companies should take the necessary steps to ensure they are protected from the potential damage of a malicious cyber-attack.
Without the proper preventative measures, hackers can easily access sensitive information about the company, its customers, and its employees, leading to reputational damage or financial losses. If you’re a business owner or leader and want to ensure your business is well-protected, check out the most common cyber-attacks that affect companies today. From there, you can implement cyber security plans and tactics to ensure your business is safe from cybercriminals.
Phishing Scams
Phishing is a social engineering attack where an invader sends a suspicious message, most commonly via email, that appears to be from a legitimate source. It often contains a link or attachment that, when clicked, will download malicious software onto the victim’s computer, allowing the predator to access passwords and other sensitive information like credit card numbers. They may also attempt to get the victim to provide information directly by providing information through a form or website, or by using software to monitor a victim’s activities, allowing them to gain further access to sensitive information and resources.
Phishing scams can wreak havoc on your business and personal life. You may recall seeing an e-mail from someone claiming to be Amazon or your credit card company, but there was something off about it. Often, the e-mail address does not reflect the person is claiming to be.
When a phishing scam targets your business, they’ll likely request valuable information from your employees like customer data or payment details. If your employees fall for the trick, they could give a cybercriminal unprecedented access to your network and systems. They may also allow the cybercriminal to steal private employee and customer information, leaving your employees vulnerable to identity theft. Phishing scams are averted by using common sense and providing cyber security training to your employees. Most companies will not request private information over e-mail. That said, if an employee receives a suspicious e-mail, they should do their due diligence to ensure the e-mail is genuine before responding.
Malware
Malware is software installed on a computer without the user’s consent that performs unsavory actions, such as stealing passwords or money. There are many types of malware. These include spyware, viruses, ransomware, and adware. You can accidentally download malware onto your computer by clicking sketchy links within e-mails or websites. You might not even notice you have malware on your computer right now. If your computer is operating more slowly than usual, web browsers are taking you to random sites, or you have frequent pop-ups, you should scan your computer for malware.
Prevention is the key to stopping malware from affecting your business and should be a top priority for all businesses. Implementing robust cybersecurity measures such as regularly updating software, using strong and unique passwords, and having a reliable anti-virus and anti-malware solution in place can help to protect against attacks.
Additionally, employees should be educated on the importance of cybersecurity, and best practices such as using secure websites, backing up data regularly, and avoiding clicking on suspicious links should be adopted to reduce the risk of malware infection. Through these measures, businesses can ensure their networks and data remain secure and protected from malicious attacks.
Hiring and utilizing a managed services provider is the best way to protect your company because they continually monitor your network for exploitable holes. With malware, it’s always better to stay on your toes. If a cybercriminal can use ransomware on your network, your business could be at a standstill until you pay the ransom. Even if you can pay, your reputation will still take a hit, and your business could be affected. Be careful where you click on your phone, too, since malware attacks on cell phones have become more common over the past few years.
Attacks Involving Passwords
How do your employees access your network or computer systems? They most likely use a password to log in to their computer, access their e-mail, and much more. What would happen if someone with bad intentions accessed one of your employee’s passwords? Depending on the user’s permission settings, they could obtain sensitive information about your business, customers, and employees.
Your team should use long, complex passwords, and each password for every account should be different. Encourage your employees to use password managers that will allow them to create the most complex passwords possible and keep track of them more easily. You can also incorporate multifactor authentication to ensure nobody can steal a password and gain access immediately. Your employees should be aware of the importance of cyber security during your annual cyber security training. They should be educated on the basics of cyber security and understand the risks of using public Wi-Fi networks. Additionally, they should be aware of the consequences of not following your company’s cyber security protocols, such as potential data breaches.
If your business falls victim to a cyber-attack, it could have lasting consequences for everyone involved. Now that you know one of the most common cyber-attacks, you can start implementing plans to protect yourself and your business. It would help if you also informed your employees of the importance of not using the same password for multiple accounts. Reusing passwords can put your business at risk if one of those accounts is compromised. Encourage your employees to use a password generator to create unique passwords for each account. It’s also important to update passwords regularly and to avoid using simple words or phrases. Your employees should also be aware of common phishing scams and how to identify them. Finally, remind your employees never to share passwords with anyone, even if it is someone they trust.
What You Can Do Today to Improve Your Company’s Cyber Security:
For a limited time, our expert team of cyber security experts at E & E Tech is conducting comprehensive network security analyses for absolutely NO charge. Why are we willing to do this for FREE? Our mission is to educate small/medium business owners on the urgency and importance of cyber security. We offer these “check-ups” to make sure your business and its data are secured.
The security and confidentiality of your business’s information aren’t something we take lightly. Cyber threats are at an all-time high. An unmonitored network can put your business and clients at risk. E & E Tech can help prevent your business from falling victim to an attack. We understand that it is vital to protect your business from intruders. With extensive experience providing our security services to many clients, you can trust our engineers to shelter your data. We are your one-stop shop for all things technology, so when you need extra protection for your business, click here to schedule your analysis: https://calendly.com/poweronprosales/e-e-tech-discovery-call.
