Cybersecurity is one of the most crucial tasks a business can undertake. The responsibility business owners have to keep their employees, their finances and their customers safe cannot be overstated. Without a strong understanding of the threats that are out there, it can be difficult to understand just how critical cybersecurity is to the day-to-day tasks and needs of a modern business. To help you understand the threats out there, here is a quick primer on the importance of cybersecurity, and the specific types of attacks that you must watch out for:
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Types of Attacks
1. Phishing
Phishing is a specific type of cybersecurity attack which involves a cybercriminal producing a fraudulent email, text, or website to maliciously trick a user into sharing their sensitive personal information. More specifically, their login credentials for work, credit card information, passwords to online credentials, and other sensitive information.
2. Malware
Malware is a malicious software which is designed to gain unauthorized access to your digital systems, and which can cause severe damage to your computer. If you’ve had your personal computer suddenly destroyed by pop up ads or other unknown malicious software, it was malware that was responsible.
3. Ransomware
Ransomware is a specific type of malicious malware software that’s been designed to extract money or financially valuable information from your computer. It does this by holding files, employee systems, workstations or other sensitive systems hostage until the person being held hostage gives up the requested finances. Unfortunately, ransomware is often run by people who will not actually return systems if you give into their demands, so negotiating with them is never a good idea.
4. Social Engineering
Social engineering is an advanced tactic used by cybercriminals to trick people into revealing sensitive, personal and financial information. Social engineering is typically used in conjunction with one of the three types of attacks above to ensure they can gain the trust of a target, and gain the information they are phishing for. The primary goal is to get the target to click on the links that will then make them download malware, or which will cause them to trust a malicious source.
4 Reasons You Need Cybersecurity Software Now
1. Portable Devices are More Susceptible than Ever
Portable devices used to be more self-contained and separated from the larger digital, online world. However, this is no longer true, and portable devices are also being used more often than ever at workplaces for sensitive tasks (and to store sensitive information). If you do not have tight cybersecurity practices, you’ll be extra susceptible to a vicious cyberattack.
2. The Private Sector is Being Targeted
Due to the infinitely valuable resources to be gained in the private sector, it is the primary target of sophisticated, dangerous cybersecurity threats. There’s been a massive increase in cyberattacks since 2015, causing more and more businesses to invest in cybersecurity services. Without enough security backing up your business’s servers, you put your business and employees at risk.
3. Individuals’ Privacy Rights are Being Negated
With legislation targeting individuals’ privacy rights, the loopholes used by cybercriminals to attack both businesses and individuals is more effective than it’s been in a long time. If you want to ensure your employees are secure while on company devices, having a cybersecurity team that can help them stay informed of their privacy and digital rights is critical.
4. You Need Digital Peace of Mind
Digital peace of mind is a necessity in the modern world. You put your employees’ hard work, and the many years of your business’s success, at risk if you fail to implement modern cybersecurity measures. Thankfully, there are more firms and services out there than ever before to help you protect your networks, digital devices, and the safety of your employees. Finding one that works for you is crucial for keeping you out of intense trouble, and to help your employees feel safe as they work on digital platforms. Without this peace of mind, it becomes incredibly difficult for your employees to work as hard as they can, and their concentration is sure to be affected as well.
Digital Protection is an Essential Business Investment
No successful business in today’s landscape can deal with the cyber threats that abound in the digital realm. Without a strong understanding of how to protect yourself, combined with a team of experts who will fortify your business’s digital defenses, you put yourself at risk of becoming a victim. The more successful your business becomes, the larger the target on your back grows, so it’s important to never delude yourself into thinking that your business is the one exception to this rule.
