The Internet is an essential business tool, critical for communication, research, work, and more. But it also puts businesses and individuals at risk of data theft and other online threats. And, with more and more devices connecting to the Internet, there are many ways you might find yourself in danger.
Below, we look at some of the greatest vulnerabilities and what can be done to help protect you and your organization from these threats.
Financial Websites
Sites that store personal details, and especially those related to finance in some way, are most prone to hackers. Whether you’re looking for a new online banking facility or play slots online, prioritize security features when choosing between services.
When choosing an online casino, take a closer look at the software the site uses, as well as its security features. Respected online gambling sites will keep your details safe and maintain your online privacy.
Gambling expert Vlad Grindu advises using cryptocurrency for deposits because this offers the greatest level of security.
Phishing Email
Phishing emails are those that purport to be from banks, e-commerce sites, and other popular websites. They include a link to a fake version of the site, where duped users enter their real account login details, effectively handing these details over to the criminals who set up the scam.
Phishing scams are common and alarmingly effective. To avoid being caught out by this type of scam, never click links in emails. Instead, enter the known URL for the website you’re trying to contact, and if the email is fake, send details to the real website so they can warn other users.
Weak Passwords For Online Accounts
Online accounts are necessary for everything from email to banking. It might seem fairly innocuous if a scammer gets access to an online software account, but if you’ve included payment details on the site, even to get a free trial, they might be able to use their newfound access to acquire these details.
No matter the security protocols used by a website, if you sign up for an account using a weak password, you are still at risk of having your details stolen. A secure password should:
- Be at least 12 characters long
- Include uppercase and lowercase letters
- Include special characters like @ and &
- Not contain any personal information or commonly used character strings
- Be changed or updated regularly
- Be kept private
DDoS Attacks Against Your Server
A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack sees hackers or malicious software launch potentially millions of requests to a server, effectively overloading it.
Although a DDoS attack alone cannot lead to the theft of data, it can bring an entire network down. And, DDoS attacks are sometimes used in blackmail or bribery scams. The attacker will launch an attack to show they can, and then bribe the company demanding payment to prevent another attack or to stop the existing DDoS.
Networks can employ redundancy and other techniques to prevent DDoS attacks, and there are specialist services that can help with this.
Unpatched Software
Software patches might be a minor annoyance when you have to let an installer run for a few minutes, but those latest patches not only include bug fixes and feature upgrades, they are also important to your online security.
If the software company is made aware of any security vulnerabilities in their software, they will work to create a patch and then deploy this patch as part of their next update. Ignoring the latest patches means that those vulnerabilities still exist.
Your IT admin team should ensure that the software is set to download and install the latest patches, and they should deploy any manual updates when they are made aware of them.
Threats From Within
A major vulnerability within a lot of organizations is the employees. Whether intentional or unintentional, it is not uncommon for employees to expose critical data to third parties.
While it can be difficult to physically prevent this from happening, especially in the case of intentional actions, you can help reduce risks through the implementation of robust data security policies.
Ensure all employees are made aware of their responsibilities, offer training to those who feel they don’t understand, and include data security policies as part of your employee handbook.
Social Engineering
Phishing emails are a form of social engineering, which means that malicious parties use some method to gain data from somebody in an organization. This can be through coercion, trickery, or theft.
Again, training is a critical step in helping prevent this kind of cybersecurity threat, and this training should be backed up with sound security policies.
Connected Devices
The modern office is home to an extensive range of connected devices. As well as computers, you also have to worry about the laptops and cell phones of everybody in the building. Even printers, routers, and other devices can connect to the Internet, and if these have any vulnerabilities, they can be used by malicious actors to get into your systems.
Sometimes, users aren’t even aware that devices connect to the Internet, which can make it difficult to protect against this kind of threat. Have robust policies concerning the use of outside devices, and only allow access to trusted devices with good security features.
The Cloud
Cloud storage and computing are extremely convenient, and they can help with security measures within an organization. However the cloud also raises several risks for users.
Users should use strong passwords and account security, implement two-factor authentication, and routinely check the security and other account settings for cloud software. It’s also important to use reputable cloud services, although even these can sometimes come under threat.
Downloads
Malicious software, or malware, can steal data and transmit it to third parties. It can log keystrokes, and gather account login details, and it can do all of this without the user knowing it’s there.
Although there are many ways that a system or network can become infected with malware, one of the easiest ways for criminals to get malware on a computer is to have a user download it. Only ever download software or files from sources you trust, ensure you have antimalware installed and updated, and, if in doubt, don’t download it.
Questionable Websites
We can’t control every website team members visit, even with stringent data security and Internet usage policies in place. But, unfortunately, insecure websites can be found all over the Internet. Clicking and visiting one of these sites can lead to files being downloaded to a computer, which will then steal data or pose some other kind of cybersecurity risk.
What Are The Most Common Cybersecurity Risks?
Malware is any piece of software that has been designed or is used with malicious intent. Malware applications can steal data, gather account information, and transmit it back to a third party for use or sale. Other types of malware include adware, trojans, worms, and rootkits.
Should You Pay Ransomware Demands?
Another increasingly common form of malware is ransomware. Ransomware will typically lock a user’s computer, or prevent access to files and software. To regain access, the ransomware demands that the user pay money to a third party.
While it is tempting to pay the ransom to regain access to a computer or data, doing so typically leads to further ransomware attacks or, as is true in a lot of cases, access is simply not restored even after the money has been paid. Companies subjected to ransomware are advised to contact the authorities and cybersecurity specialists.
Do You Need Antimalware Software?
Businesses, like individuals, need robust security software in place, which includes effective antimalware software.
Antimalware software detects files and programs that pose any kind of threat and prevents their download. They also run in the background and monitor a system’s online activity to determine whether information is being shared by any malware, and then remove the offending software. Every computer in an organization should have antimalware protection installed.
Conclusion
Businesses need robust cybersecurity policies and should ensure that all employees are fully trained to ensure they do not expose the company to any online threats.
Cybercrime costs more than $9 trillion a year, which is almost as big as the total US economy. Without adequate cybersecurity practices, it can cause a loss of reputation that could potentially ruin a business.
