Every year, cybercriminals come up with new ways to attack businesses. As soon as new lines of defense are built, those cybercriminals are quick to find new methods for breaching them. If your business is small, then you might be under the impression that you’re safe from the malevolent attention of the modern-day hacker, but the fact is that businesses of all sizes are vulnerable. Smaller business models are more likely to be targeted by cybercriminals because they are often more lax about online security.
If you want to keep your business and your customers safe from the risks of cyberattacks, here are the most common cybersecurity threats that are causing untold harm to businesses.
1. Ransomware
When a hacker breaks into your system, they may not steal anything. Instead, they lock your system down and keep you from accessing that system until you pay a ransom. This can be one of the more challenging cyberattacks to respond to because even if you do pay the criminals, there are no guarantees that you will get access back to your system.
2. Smartphone Attacks
If your new business is planning a BYOD approach, then it’s worth understanding the rise of the phishing and endpoint attacks that target mobile devices. As traditional platforms work harder to ensure their access is more secure, hackers are increasingly using endpoint devices to breach systems. This endpoint management guide from Mcafee.com highlights many of the considerations you need to think about in endpoint security.
3. The Cloud
While cloud platforms are notoriously robust in terms of security, they are not without their risks. More businesses than ever are adopting cloud use to better manage their data, which means that hackers are using new methods to break cloud defenses. Although this type of attack is rare, cloud security diligence is essential.
4. Phishing
One of the more well-known types of cyberattack, phishing is where hackers pretend to be a legitimate account in order to obtain sensitive passwords or information that makes their attacks easier. Spear phishing is a whole new subset of traditional phishing scams and can be harder to identify. Make sure that you are aware of the signs of phishing.
5. End of Life Tools
If you’re using an older piece of software or a platform that is no longer updated, then you are very exposed to a breach. This happened to users of Windows 7 in early 2020 when Microsoft stopped supporting the platform. That has left many businesses vulnerable. Make sure that the technologies that you use are all as current as possible to avoid end of life risks.
The more that you keep up to date with the latest risks presented by cybercrime, the easier it will be to protect your new business. Keep your technologies current and use the latest tools and methods that are recommended to keep your system and your business more secure. Establish a more proactive security culture and your new business will be less likely to fall victim to the ever-growing threat of cybercrime.
