You have almost assuredly heard before that cyber threats are constantly evolving, but that's because it's true. And every business, regardless of how big or small they are, is a target. Unfortunately, staying ahead of cyber threats is something that many SMBs still struggle with. So, what are the cyber threats that everyone should be looking out for, and how do we keep ourselves safe from them?
Phishing
The Threat:
Phishing is one of, if not the most common form of cyber threat. Phishing attacks use technical trickery and social engineering to trick their victims into giving hackers money, data, and network access. Attackers take on the guise of a trusted source that victims are less likely to question. Phishing attacks are frequently emails with malicious attachments designed to steal personal information or contain malicious links that lead victims to an illegitimate website that steals sensitive data.
How to Fight Back:
- Train Your Team: Regularly train your employees on how to spot phishing attempts by recognizing suspicious emails and messages, sketchy links, and unexpected attachments.
- Email Filtering: Set up email filters to catch suspicious content before it can reach your inbox, preventing human error altogether.
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attacks
The Threat:
Distributed Denial-of-service (DDoS) is an attack that targets the resources of a server, network, website, or computer to disrupt services. These attacks overload a system with a constant flood of traffic that causes the system to deny service requests from legitimate users. DDoS attacks don't allow attackers to steal any information; they are only meant to compromise system functionality.
How to Fight Back:
- Watch Your Traffic: Use tools that monitor your network traffic for odd patterns that could indicate a DDoS attack, allowing you or your IT team to act fast when something seems off.
- Limit Requests: Implement rate-limiting to control how many requests a server can manage from a single IP address to prevent your server from getting overwhelmed and minimize DDOS impact.
Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attacks
The Threat:
A MitM attack is when a hacker inserts themselves between a client's and a server's communications, hijacking the session to gain access to the victim's resources or data. The most common method used to commit a MitM attack is IP spoofing, where the hijacker uses the IP of the trusted client to access unauthorized services from a server or application.
How to Fight Back:
- Use VPNs: Use Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) for a secure way to communicate, even on public networks, making it hard for hackers to intercept and hijack your information.
- Two-Factor Authentication: Implement 2FA for an extra layer of security that helps protect accounts and data even if attackers get ahold of login credentials.
Malware Attacks
The Threat:
Malicious software, or malware, is designed to compromise a system for the hacker's benefit. Malware is designed to be downloaded unknowingly by its victims, infecting a system and performing some harmful action.
How to Fight Back:
- Install Security Software: Install antivirus and anti-malware software on all your devices. Regularly scan your systems to catch any malicious software before it causes trouble.
- Keep Everything Updated: Ensure all your software and systems are up to date with the latest security patches that close up otherwise exploitable vulnerabilities.
Drive-By Attacks
The Threat:
Drive-by attacks use online resources to compromise a user's system, even without the user having to do anything to initialize the malware or virus. A single click on a pop-up window or website link can lead to a drive-by infection. Drive-by attacks are increasingly used to spread viruses due to their ability to run in the background, making them easier to hide from users.
How to Fight Back:
- Web Filtering: Use web filtering solutions to block access to known malicious websites, preventing users from accidentally visiting these harmful sites and stopping drive-by attacks from having a chance to run at all.
- Secure Browsers: Ensure your browsers are updated with the latest security patches and configurations to close known vulnerabilities.
Password Attacks
The Threat:
Password attacks are exactly what you would think; cybercriminals gain unauthorized access to user accounts and networks with compromised passwords. Between weak and unsecured passwords, there are many ways for a password to be compromised and an attack enacted. Attackers might spy on your network, use decryption tools, or just try and brute force your passwords.
How to Fight Back:
- Password Managers: Use password managers that can generate and securely store strong, unique passwords for all your accounts, significantly reducing the risk of a password getting compromised.
- Account Lockout Policies: Set up policies that temporarily lock accounts after several failed login attempts to prevent brute-force attacks and alert you to potential security threats.
Stay At the Forefront of Cybersecurity
Cyber threats are always evolving, but staying informed and proactive goes a long way toward keeping you and your data safe. Implementing the above solutions will strengthen your cybersecurity to keep your business secure and set it up for success.