Although you might have already had meetings with ISO 27001 consultants and have achieved ISO 27001 certification, you should never let your guard down. Cybersecurity is a topic where you constantly need to search for new ways to deal with cyber threats, as this is the only way to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals and hackers.
Nowadays, people who want to access your sensitive data have many ways to do so. They can use ransomware, phishing, and man-in-the-middle attacks, just to name a few. With so many dangers lurking in the depths of the internet, you might think that keeping your devices secure is an unachievable task. However, this does not necessarily have to be the case. If you put some effort into improving your cybersecurity and learn which issues to avoid, you can make it happen.
Below, we list a few significant issues that may affect your business, ranging from machine-to-machine and spear-phishing attacks to ransomware and cloud computing vulnerabilities. Without further ado, here are some of the most damaging cybersecurity problems you need to be aware of:
DDoS attacks
Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks are a common problem for companies, and they’re only getting worse. In fact, the number of DDoS attacks has dramatically increased in the last year – over 10 million attacks were observed in 2020, which is more than 1.6 million higher than in 2019.
This issue is so widespread because these types of attacks have become very easy to carry out, often through the use of botnets and compromised devices. As a result, even the smallest businesses can be subject to an attack from thousands of sources.
Furthermore, these attacks can take place at any time, and they can last for extended periods of time. If you do not know how to cope with such an attack, you might lose your business’ entire income.
Spear-Phishing attacks
Another significant cybersecurity risk for businesses is spear-phishing attacks. Spear-phishing consists of sending genuine emails but containing a malicious link or attachment to persuade users to click on them. These emails might look like they come from someone you trust or an institution you regularly deal with, making them more likely to be opened.
Spear-phishing email attacks have been responsible for some of the most damaging cyberattacks in recent years. To avoid these kinds of cyberattacks, you should always look for the sender’s address and verify it before opening any attachments or clicking on any links.
Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts users’ files and holds them hostage until their owners pay a ransom. The most common way to install ransomware is through phishing emails. When users open these emails, they will be asked to download an attachment that contains the malware. Once this happens, your files will be encrypted and will no longer be accessible until you pay the ransom.
There are many different types of ransomware, but one of the most dangerous ones is called Petya. Petya was responsible for some major cyberattacks in 2016 and 2017 that affected many large organizations across the globe.
Although there are ways to protect against ransomware, these attacks seem to keep getting worse every year. To protect against such attacks, you should ensure that all your devices are kept up to date and that your employees are trained to avoid potentially dangerous emails. Also, it’s worth investing in a reputable anti-ransomware solution.
Cloud Computing Vulnerabilities
Cloud computing is a popular technology nowadays, as it allows users to store data remotely and access it from anywhere they want. However, it comes with its own unique set of risks, especially when used by small businesses that aren’t always aware of how vulnerable this technology makes them to potential cyberattacks. One issue that may affect your business is hackers gaining access to your data through vulnerabilities in cloud computing technology.
Because the cloud is accessible from multiple devices, including mobile devices and laptops, it’s more susceptible to attacks than traditional servers. As a result, some organizations have decided to move their data back to on-premise solutions, as they feel that cloud computing is not safe enough.
However, even using on-premise solutions comes with its own set of risks. For example, businesses have been known to experience significant data loss due to hardware failure. In fact, hardware failures could cause a company to lose millions of dollars over a few years.
Man-in-the-Middle Attacks
Man-in-the-middle attacks are another prominent threat when it comes to business cybersecurity. A man-in-the-middle attack occurs when attackers intercept data between two computers to impersonate one or alter the data transmitted between them.
This type of attack can be done via Wi-Fi hotspots or even through Bluetooth technologies, which is why you must protect your devices against this type of attack at all times. You can do so by using VPNs, installing firewalls on your network, and ensuring that all your employees understand how cyber criminals might try to use this type of attack against them.
You can also use a free yet reliable proxy server that encrypts your data before sending it to the destination server, which makes it much more difficult for an attacker to intercept and modify the data. Additionally, the proxy server can authenticate the destination server to you, which helps ensure that the attacker is not redirecting you to a fake server.
Conclusion
These are just a few of the most prominent cybersecurity issues you might face as a small business. It’s crucial to stay on top of your cybersecurity measures because many potentially harmful cyberattacks can affect your small business and result in losing all your money. However, taking the necessary steps to ensure the safety of your devices and investing in a reliable anti-ransomware solution will allow you to prevent the majority of malicious attacks.
If you’re still unsure about how to protect your business from cyberattacks and how to avoid such threats, we recommend that you contact a cybersecurity expert who can help you implement an appropriate security strategy.
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