Cybersecurity Threats Your Business Should Be Thinking About In 2020

We’re all becoming a lot more cognizant of the risks of data breaches and losing access to vital parts of our business IT scope. Not only can it cost us a lot of time, but a lot of money, and even the future of the business if we’re found to not be compliant with data security regulations. To make sure your business is protected, you have to stay updated. Here are some of the latest attacks your business should be protected against.

DDoS

Distributed denial of service attacks can overwhelm your business’s network so that necessary traffic (like service users and employees) cannot use them. Essentially, a lot of fake traffic is sent to the network, taking all your bandwidth much like fake cars would take up the roads. Staying up to date on blacklisted IPs and preventing them from accessing your network can help you protect it.

Phishing

This is an example of a social engineering attack, which is when a member of the team is tricked into doing something that exposes vulnerability. The most common type of social engineering attack is the phishing email, in which someone follows a link or downloads an attachment that contains a threat. Thorough cybersecurity awareness training from teams like 7safe is essential to make sure your team is less likely to fall for threats like these. It’s essential to put in place protocols that allow people to judge the validity of emails and messages they receive.

Ransomware

This is one of the latest types of malware causing havoc. It locks your team and users out of affected systems, meaning you cannot access or alter data. That data is then ransomed, with the threat that it will be destroyed or made public if you fail to pay. Managed service providers like Egis Technologies, Inc. can help you with the thorough cybersecurity plan needed to avoid such threats. Companies have had to pay as much as $1 million to ransomware hackers before.

Internal attacks

From disgruntled ex-employees to those looking to sell company data for profit, it’s important to be aware of the risk that can come from within. Overseeing your data access controls is essential, as you should make sure no-one has access to any data that isn’t wholly necessary to their responsibilities. It’s crucial to ensure you remove the access privileges from anyone who leaves the company, too.

Legacy software

It might not sound like much of a “threat” but with the recent phasing out of Windows 7 and 8.1, it has become crucial to ensure that your business only uses software that receives ongoing support and updates. Legacy software is no longer updated, which means it doesn’t get security measures that modern software does. Modern software updates when new threats emerge. Relying on legacy tech makes you much more open to all of the threats above and more.

A comprehensive approach to cybersecurity is essential if you want to avoid being hit by any of the threats mentioned above. Don’t be sloppy, invest where it’s crucial.