How to Protect Against Cybersecurity Threats

A cybersecurity threat is a malicious act that seeks to damage data, steal data, or disrupt digital life in general. Cyber-attacks include threats like computer viruses, data breaches, and Denial of Service (DoS) attacks.

But, how do you protect your company from these threats?

What Are Cyber Threats?

Today, the term "cyber" is almost always specifically used to refer to information security matters. Since it’s a bit hard for us to visualize how digital signals traveling across wires can represent an attack, we’ve decided to visualizing the digital phenomenon as a physical one.

A cyber attack is an attack that is mounted against us (or against our digital devices) by means of cyberspace. Yes, another "cyber" term - cyberspace is a virtual space that does not exist physically. This term has become the metaphor to help us understand digital attacks that intend to harm our devices.

Why is it Necessary to Protect From Cyber Threats?

Cybersecurity threats are a big deal and rapidly increasing, with the help of artificial intelligence, and can be quite serious.

Successfully executed cyber attacks can result in the theft of valuable, sensitive data like medical records or banking information. They can disrupt phone and/or computer networks or paralyze systems, making data unavailable.

SophosLabs’ 2019 Threat Report mentions that:

“The threat landscape is undoubtedly evolving; less skilled cybercriminals are being forced out of business, the fittest among them step up their game to survive and we’ll eventually be left with fewer, but smarter and stronger, adversaries.

These new cybercriminals are effectively a cross-breed of the once esoteric, targeted attacker, and the pedestrian purveyor of off-the-shelf malware, using manual hacking techniques not for espionage or sabotage, but to maintain their dishonorable income streams.”

Cybersecurity risks pervade every organization and are not always under direct control of IT security teams. Today's increasing global connectivity, usage of cloud services, and outsourcing results in a much larger attack vector than before. It's best to implement best practices to protect from an attack and have cyber insurance in case of an incident.  

Types of Cybersecurity Threats

Common cybersecurity threats include:

Malware

Malware is software that does malicious tasks on a device or network such as corrupting data or taking control of a system.

Phishing

Phishing is when a cybercriminal attempts to lure individuals into providing sensitive data such as personally identifiable information (PII), banking and credit card details and passwords.

Spear Phishing

A more sophisticated form of phishing where the attacker learns about the victim and impersonates someone he or she knows and trusts.

Trojans

Named after the Trojan Horse of ancient Greek history, the Trojan is a type of malware that enters a target system looking like one thing, e.g. a standard piece of software, but then lets out the malicious code once inside the host system.

A trojan creates a backdoor in your system, allowing the attacker to gain control of your computer or access confidential information.

Ransomware

Ransomware is a type of malware that denies access to a computer system or data until a ransom is paid.

These attacks range from low-level nuisances to serious incidents like the locking down of the entire city of Atlanta’s municipal government data in 2018.

Data Breaches

A data breach is a theft of data by a malicious actor. Motives for data breaches include crime (i.e. identity theft), a desire to embarrass an institution (e.g. Edward Snowden or the DNC hack) and espionage.

Preventing Cyber Attacks on Your Company

Here are some suggestions on how you can start to prevent cyber attacks in your organization.

1. Be Wary of Cybercrimes

Always be wary of cybercriminals, work like you expect an attack. This will allow you to ensure that your corporation is covered at all times with the necessary strategies, plans, and cyber insurance policies in place. 

• Keep records of which information is attractive for criminals and which is not.

• Develop multiple strategies with proper risk assessments on a regular basis to ensure effective solutions should the need arise. 

2. Keep an Eye on Your Employees 

Employees are one of the key elements of the company because they have insights of the business and are privy to the operations.

• Keep employees motivated and discourage them from leaking out crucial information. Try to make them more loyal to the company.

• Keep a backup of all the messages that are exchanged between employees. Check on how they use passwords and keep these passwords safe from unauthorized personnel. 

3. Implement Two-Factor Authentication

You can minimize the risk of getting hacked by using a two-factor authentication for your company.

• Encourage all employees to use two-factor authentication as it increases security by adding an additional step for accessing accounts.

4. ENFORCE a Strong Sign-Off Policy 

In order to keep your company safe and secure from online threats, you need to develop and implement a strong sign-off policy for all employees.

A sign-off policy should ensure that:

• The employees return laptops and mobile devices before they leave the premises.

• The email address that you use must be encrypted so information doesn’t leak and data remains confidential.

Fight Cybersecurity Threats with Cite Tech

At CITE Tech our team offers Managed IT services solutions for a variety of industries. Don't let cybersecurity threats damage the private information of both you and your company. Reach out to learn more how we can assist you in protecting your data against malicious cyber attacks.

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Ransomware Equals a Data Breach - Let's explore why your business needs to utilize an inclusive approach that combines cybersecurity with full compliance.

About Cite Technology

Cite Technology Solutions strives to provide the very best in IT solutions.  We provide comprehensive IT solutions for small and mid-sized organizations with complex needs. Offering 24/7 Tech Support, Remote Support and Cloud Storage. We specialize in data management, medical imaging, HL7 interfacing, cybersecurity, and HIPAA compliance.

References

What Are Cyber Threats and What to Do About Them - https://preyproject.com/blog/en/what-are-cyber-threats-how-they-affect-you-what-to-do-about-them/

What is a Cyber Threat? - https://www.upguard.com/blog/cyber-threat