Fighting Cyber Attacks: The Best Defense

Top 5 Cyber Attack Methods

Cyber attackers gain unauthorized access to computer systems through various methods, and these have been so rampant that even campaign staff in the 2020 US presidential elections were trained to handle cyber threats. Below is a list of the 5 most common methods cyber attackers use.

• Phishing attacks

Phishing attacks are fake emails disguised as legitimate ones that use return addresses of people you know or work with. The point of a phishing attack is to trick you into providing sensitive company or personal information like passwords, financial records, or banking information.

• Malware attacks

Malware attacks make use of malicious software to gain unauthorized access to your computer or network and wreak havoc by damaging or destroying information to cause disruption to business operations.

• Ransomware attacks

As the term “ransom” suggests, this attack “kidnaps” your data by withholding user access to files or devices themselves until a ransom is paid. Ransomware attacks typically encrypt files on infected devices and force users to pay via online payment platforms before sending a decryption key.

• Denial-of-service (DoS) attacks

A DoS attack floods or overwhelms a target computer or network with requests up to a point where it’s unable to process normal traffic. The goal of this attack is to disrupt business operations by rendering an organization’s systems unusable.

• Insider attacks

Insider attacks are done by “insiders” or disgruntled employees that have retained access to an organization’s data systems. For selfish reasons, these former employees use what access they still have to breach or damage company systems and steal or destroy sensitive data.

How to Protect Your Business From Cyber Attacks

Cyber criminals are evolving and continue to find new vulnerabilities to exploit, so much so, that even the World Economic Forum has released a warning stating how cyber risks add to the global climate threat. The good news is that you can take a proactive approach and protect your data and systems by following cyber hygiene practices.

• Require strong passwords and multi-factor authentication.

An ongoing bane of cybersecurity professionals everywhere, weak passwords are a seemingly irrelevant factor that can act as a gateway to a major cyber attack. Organizations can make use of enterprise-grade password managers and multi-factor authentication as an added layer of protection.

• Create a data backup and recovery plan.

Regular data backups help mitigate the impact of a cyber attack, ensuring that you always have a copy of your recent data and files. Ideally, data backups should be stored offsite and offline so it can be easily accessed incase of a data breach.

• Control who has access to certain systems and data.

You don’t have to provide absolute data access to everyone in your organization. Actively manage access to information and only provide access to relevant personnel. If an employee requires temporary access to files or information, remember to revoke access once it isn’t necessary

• Layer your IT security measures.

Combining certain security tools in a layered approach is the best way to protecrt your data and systems from cyber attacks. Data-loss prevention software, anti-malware, and spam filters are just a few of the tools you can use in conjunction with each other to beef up your overall cyber security protocols.

• Educate employees.

Having every employee on the same page about cybersecurity will help stop data breaches dead on its tracks. Equip your employees with knowledge and information via training programs so they can act as cybersecurity soldiers proficient in user best practices and always prepared to respond in case of a data breach.

• Cybersecurity ROI

Gone are the days when a robust cybersecurity program is reserved for only those companies that can afford them. In today’s business landscape, protecting your data is a requirement to avoid costly business disruptions and data and equipment loss. A strong cybersecurity solution is your insurance policy against unauthorized access to your data and systems and its potential impact to your operations.