Last Updated on September 27, 2022 by
Top 5 Biggest Cyber Security Threats
Phishing Attacks
According to the latest data, 83% of organizations experienced phishing attacks in 2021. In 2022, it is expected that an additional six billion attacks will occur. Phishing attacks are designed to trick users into giving up personal information or downloading malware onto their devices by disguising themselves as official emails from legitimate companies or organizations. Often, these messages will ask you to download an attachment that looks like a legitimate document but is actually a virus that can steal your data or take control of your computer.
Regardless of how many precautions you take against being fooled by phishing attempts like these, there’s no fool-proof way of avoiding them entirely. Even IT professionals sometimes fall for fake emails disguised as work-related requests with attachments labeled “HR Information” or “Payment Confirmation”. However, Cybersecurity Fresno recommends that there are steps you can take both within your browser settings and when interacting with businesses online to minimize the scope of attacks.
Malware Attacks
Malware is a type of software that is installed on your computer without your knowledge. It can steal your personal information, or it can damage your computer. Malware can be installed by downloading a file or by opening an email attachment. It’s also possible for malware to be installed when you visit a website with infected code in the site’s HTML (which controls how the site looks).
Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malware that locks a device’s data and demands payment to unlock it. It often spreads through phishing emails, but can also be installed in other ways, such as through attachments on websites or by exploiting vulnerabilities in operating systems and applications. As for the latest data, the average ransomware payment reached a staggering $570,000 in the first half of 2021.
Weak Passwords
Passwords are the first line of defense against cyber criminals. If you have a strong password, it should be as long as possible and take into account a variety of characters, not just numbers and letters. Your passwords should also be unique for each site you use so that if someone does manage to crack one, they can’t use that knowledge on another site. Make sure your passwords aren’t easy to guess by using personal information like birthdays or phone numbers or anything else someone could guess from research about you online.
Insider Threats
Insider threats are a major concern for companies with sensitive data. Insider threats can be caused by malicious intent or accidental actions, and they’re a growing problem. There are many ways that an insider threat can occur: an employee whose social media accounts have been breached, an employee who is disgruntled or otherwise unhappy with the company and decides to release sensitive information, etc.
How to Avoid Cyber Attacks
To protect against these types of attacks and keep your company safe from harm, you should implement the latest defensive tools and strategies. You must also make sure that your employees know what they can do to help protect your business’s information systems and networks. You should also implement policies in which employees must follow certain procedures when accessing data or performing tasks on behalf of the organization. Finally, it’s important to know if there have been any instances where an employee has acted suspiciously—this will give your insight into whether anyone could potentially pose a risk in the future.
Post courtesy: George Passidakis, Director of Sales and Marketing at Apex Technology Management.
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