Cybersecurity is an important challenge that every business needs to deal with. And for 2020, organizations need to be more prepared than ever to deal with different threats that may compromise their privacy, data, information, resources, and everything in between.
As more and more of our data are becoming available online, we are getting more exposed to security threats and data breaches. A cyberattack can happen in many forms.
In 2019, some of the biggest cybersecurity threats came in the form of phishing, unauthorized access, cloud vulnerability, credential stuffing, ransomware, and malware, as listed by Cyber Security Hub.
Cyberattacks are no small threat
A cyberattack happens when an unauthorized person or an organization deliberately breach the information system of another individual or organization. Hackers usually carry out cyberattacks to gain some sort of benefit by disrupting the network of the victim.
A cyberattack can cost a fortune to the victim. Many small- and medium-sized businesses do not realize the cost of cyberattacks and may wait until the cyberattack happens before they take any action. Interestingly, small and medium-sized companies are preferred targets to the attackers as these businesses are more vulnerable with weak IT security in place.
A cyberattack can affect a company in three ways:
1. Loss of reputation
2. Customer Loss
3. Operational loss
With the digital landscape changing rapidly, cyberattacks are getting more common than it was a few years ago. In 2019, there were 2.3 billion data breaches as compared to 826 million in 2017.
Tell-tale signs your company is vulnerable
How do you know if your company is susceptible to cyberattacks? Watch out for these signs.
1. Malware and viruses are changing. Hackers love to sit around and figure out a way to infiltrate your system. If you have outdated malware protection, you can be at risk.
2. If you’re expecting a slow internet connection suddenly, you could already be under an attack. Keep an eye and watch out for signs if you’re a victim of DoS or DDoS attack.
3. Do you rely on passwords like “asdf123456” or something similar? Weak passwords can make you vulnerable to security breaches. Ensure you are using a strong password to secure your systems.
What to do if you’re vulnerable?
- Educate your employees on not opening emails from unknown senders. Most of the mails that you receive could be junk. Such emails contain attachments inside the mail and include a virus that gets released when clicked. Thus, attackers find a home in your system.
- Compartmentalize your company data. Restrict access to data depending on job role or responsibility in the organization. For example, an intern need not have access to highly confidential data which should have access to only the CEO and other senior executives.
- Endpoint security software is one of the convenient solutions for your question. This software protects your device from malicious internal and external threats. It works by combining different attack prevention methods along with detection and response technologies that work effectively in preventing your enterprise system. If you really want to protect your company, you should learn more about endpoint security software.