Know your enemy
There are many digital threats that could possibly harm our business if we didn’t have secure programs that prevent them. Listed below are a few common cyber threats that could cause problems if not handled correctly.
- Viruses are a very common cyber threat. They can destroy data and damage software systems. A virus can start when the host clicks on attachments, links, or downloads that are shared through email, social media, and text messages. If you were on a website and an ad pops up that interests you, clicking on it could potentially download a virus to your software. That’s why it’s important to be cautious when surfing the web. By clicking on the link or attachment, the virus will “attach to a program, file, or document,” and can steal data, like passwords and private information. Some can even damage the computer system or erase important data.
- Phishing attacks are used in an attempt for outsiders to gain access to private data. They do this mainly through email but can also use other platforms with direct messaging. Like a virus, a link can be sent through email and trick people into clicking it which will “install malware and expose sensitive data.” This can give them access to the organization’s private files which may include financial information. An example would be receiving an email from an address that you’ve never seen before that has a link attached. It may be something that seems realistic like asking for verification on an email address. Phishing attacks aren’t only used against organizations, they also target individuals in an attempt to discover information, such as social security numbers and bank information.
- Malware, or “malicious software,” is a way for hackers to take over or corrupt a system. More specifically, ransomware attacks are a major threat that can “cost victims billions of dollars every year.” Technology allows them to “kidnap” a corporation’s databases and information for ransom. These organizations don’t want their private information to be released so most times they’ll pay the ransom.
- The main purpose of scams is to take a victim’s money and bank information. Scams can come in the form of a phone call or a message. Through a phone call, a person would try to trick you into revealing personal information like your social security number. They also may contact you by email, saying there’s a problem with your bank account and asking you to verify your private bank information. By giving them this information, they can gain access to your accounts.
- Hackers will either want access to private information in order to harm a business or for personal gain. The main way hackers are able to get into a company’s software is by finding their passwords. There are programs that are used to help hackers gain this control and possibly leak private data. Trojan Horse is a program that is used to trick the computer user into opening the system. It’s disguised as a legitimate software that the user downloads onto their computer. Hackers then have access to the information on the computer and use it to their own advantage.
Know yourself
In order to protect our company from the threats above, we have different processes and software programs downloaded onto our computer systems. Hackers continue to get smarter and smarter in finding new ways to manipulate programs and gain access to private data. All programs aren’t 100% secure and hackers can still find ways to override them, so it’s important to find new ways to protect ourselves against hackers and digital threats.
- The first way we try to prevent cyber attacks is by using Apple computers. Mac OS won’t prevent cyber attacks altogether but they are more secure than other devices. Hackers don’t target IOS users as much because there are other devices that are more popular. Also, Apple has more control of their platform making the privacy stronger for users.
- An easy way to better protect private information is to have strong passwords. One that includes letters, numbers, and special characters. This prevents hackers from being able to easily guess them and access the business’s data. It’s also important to write these passwords down so they’re not forgotten.
- There are firewalls installed on our computer systems to prevent outside networks from gaining access to our software systems. Firewalls act as a “barrier,” to sources and networks that are untrusted. It keeps the unknown networks and our network separated.
- We have an antivirus software installed (Norton) to help prevent viruses and malware on our computers. Norton includes “anti-spyware, antivirus, malware & ransomware protection.” Having a software like Norton installed is super important for keeping our information securely protected. It also is available on multiple devices that are used at each of our locations.
- “Find my device” is downloaded on all our computers and devices. This way, if one of these is stolen, authorities are able to track the location of our devices in an attempt to retrieve them.
Develop your strategy
Although we have the programs and procedures listed above, there is always room for improvement. We still need to improve the protection we already have to make sure we’re as secure as possible. We also need to continue to learn and adapt to new cyber threats that may appear. Here are a few recommendations in order to keep our company safe, secure, and reliable.
- It’s important to educate employees about the cyber threats and ways to try to avoid them. Specifically, we need to teach everyone how to detect a scam and phish emails. Training them how to pick out messages that are scams is needed in order to make our company more secure. That way, they’ll know not to open every attachment, or click on every link, that is sent to them.
- We need to always be prepared for a cyber attack to happen and one way to do so is having cyber security insurance. This way, if an attack occurs, we’ll have insurance to help cover what may be lost.
- Another way to prepare for a cyber attack would be to back up our data. More specifically, encrypt all data so it is more secure. Then, if our data happens to be stolen, it won’t be completely lost.
- Although constantly having to update software can be annoying, it’s needed to make sure we’re as prepared as possible. Having the most updated software will fix any “vulnerabilities” that are discovered and make the program more secure.
- As mentioned earlier, we already make sure our company uses strong passwords, but we should start changing them regularly. Changing passwords periodically prevents hackers from easily being able to access them. It’s also important to have different passwords than the same one for everything. That way, if one password is figured out, it will only affect that system/program rather than all of them.
Sources:
https://onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu/top-cyber-security-threats/
https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-malware-what-is-a-computer-virus.html
https://whatismyipaddress.com/hacking-basics
https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-emerging-threats-what-is-firewall.html
https://www.osibeyond.com/blog/7-methods-to-prevent-cyber-attacks/
https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/privacy-macos-or-windows-we-asked-the-experts/