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Online security is one of the top concerns for everyone living in this digital world. Cyber-attacks are becoming much classier each year and malicious persons are using a variety of techniques to harm the repute of individuals and business organizations. A lot of things like careless internet users, IoT devices, BYOD policies at the workplace and cloud solutions can cause cyber security threats these days. Oftentimes, implementation of the latest business tech solutions with an intention to increase the operational efficiency of a business can also put them at the risk of cyber-attacks.
As giant organizations and brands can come back on the right track from cyber attacks like a data breach, it can be hard for SMBs to do the same because they don’t have sufficient resources to survive. That is the reason every business, either selling rolex submariner blue online or delivering its products worldwide via an e-commerce site, should be aware of the common cybersecurity threats.
Here is the list of online security threats (cybersecurity threats) every business should build a strong resistance against.
Ransomware
It is one of the most common and dangerous cyber-attacks.
In this attack, cybercriminals focus on getting malware onto the network of a business that can encrypt all the confidential details and data of the business. When they successfully get the malware on the business network, it starts encrypting all of the business files and data on the network. After that, users cannot access the data and attackers ask for a heavy sum of money to give data back to the concerns. They use different techniques like phishing emails, fake download links and bogus advertisement to get the malware on the network of a business they want to attack. As a result of the ransomware attack, a company may bear the loss of valuable data or pay the heavy ransom to get the data back from attackers. It is also predicted by the experts that criminals can attack a new business or individual in every 14 seconds and you can be the next target of malicious persons.
Phishing Scams
Email phishing is another common and injurious cyber attack that can lead your business towards an abnormal loss of data or money. Attackers send bogus emails to their targets with phony links and want the email user to click and open the link. When an email user clicks the link, cybercriminals can get access to the whole network via encrypting malware. Then they can get access to the data and business files stored on the network. Small businesses with uneducated employees make for the common of the victims.
Unpatched Security Vulnerabilities
Unpatched security vulnerabilities and bugs in business network and other software solutions can also lead a business towards cybersecurity issues. Some attackers target known security issues while many of them find out the vulnerabilities in networks and software that are unpatched. In simple words, not applying updates and security patches can leave a business exposed to outside threats. Updating the software, networks and other solutions on a regular basis is the best possible way to get rid of such attacks. Moreover, if a software solution is no longer supported by its vendor, it may be the right time to uninstall it and replace with a better option.
Social networks
As mentioned above that careless internet users can also cause security threats, employees using social media sites at the workplace are not only wasting the time but are also unintentionally leaking the confidential company data and information. In addition to the vulnerabilities and bugs of such applications, employees are often sharing confidential business details that can be useful by cybercriminals. Sharing personal or professional details on social media without taking care of privacy can cause repute damage for both individuals and businesses.
DDoS Attacks
Distributed Denial of Service or DDoS is a technique used by cybercriminals to flood a business network, software or machine with requests with an intention to make it slower or to bring down. It can stop a business from doing operations or other online transactions. In results, DDoS attacks not only keep your vital business data away but can also have an effect on the quality of your services to injure your repute in the market.