Every day, businesses of all sizes around the world face new cyber security threats. As we approach a new year, it’s a great time to discuss some of the most recent threats your company needs to prepare for. Of course, we will also discuss some of the solutions to ensure you’re ready for any cyber security risks that might come your way.
5 Cyber Security Threats Your Company Needs To Prepare For
Keep in mind, these threats aren’t the only ones you need to prepare for. But these five examples give you a good idea of the new and growing threats businesses are facing.
Phishing
Phishing schemes are becoming increasingly complex, and the threat of phishing against small businesses is all too real. These schemes involve stealing personal data, which can include things like credit card numbers or login credentials. Scammers tend to use emails or text messages cleverly disguised to steal this information and then use it for criminal purposes.
Remote Work Threats
With more people working remotely than perhaps ever before, scammers are finding new ways to take advantage of this setup.
Criminals are exploiting remote work situations in several ways, including thread hijacking attacks.
This is when a hijacker takes over an employee’s email or chat and responds to conversations already taking place as though they are that person. They include malicious links in their responses that contribute to phishing schemes and other threats.
(Take a look at this post where we discuss protecting yourself from cyber security threats if you work from home)
Double-Extortion Ransomware
You might be familiar with ransomware, but perhaps the concept of double-extortion ransomware is a new concept to you. It’s worth learning more about as this is yet another of the cyber security threats your business must prepare for.
Here’s how Trend Micro explains it:
“With double extortion, malicious actors go beyond just encryption by also exfiltrating (sometimes through weaponized legitimate tools) and threatening to publicize an affected organization’s data.
These ransomware operators usually have dedicated data leak sites, but they can also release the stolen information in underground forums and blog sites.”
(Learn more about ransomware and the threats small businesses face in this post)
Healthcare Cyber Security Threats
With the healthcare system experiencing unprecedented challenges over the past 18 months, many healthcare companies couldn’t prioritize cyber security the way they once had. Instead, they had to devote all of their resources to caring for patients and keeping their doors open. As such, malicious actors took advantage of any security gaps in serious ways.
In fact, Check Point Research reports that cyberattacks against hospitals had increased by 45% worldwide in Q4 2020.
(Healthcare cybersecurity is something we talk about a lot on our blog. Click here to read about protecting personal health information)
Zero-Day Attacks
Finally, another of the cyber security threats it’s important to cover is known as zero-day attacks.
These occur when hackers discover a flaw or vulnerability in software or hardware. They discover this problem before the software can create a patch or fix for it, which is where they get their name.
Protect Your Business from Cyber Security Threats
All of these threats can seem overwhelming—particularly when it comes to protecting your business from them. But you don’t need to do this alone! Comprehensive IT services and cyber security solutions are available that can cover everything from A-Z for your business.
At CloudNexus, we know you deserve more than just security on the sidelines, and we’re here to deliver. To see how we combine traditional IT managed services with advanced cybersecurity management, call us today at (502) 440-1380. Or, click here to learn more about our cyber security solutions.
