Cyber threats are nothing new. We’ve been hearing of their prevalence and their aggressiveness for a long time. For example, ransomware is an attack designed to block access to your computer unless you pay a sum of money as a ransom. In recent years, ransom payouts have greatly increased. Read on to learn more about current and emerging cyber threats and how to guard your network from them.

 

Cyber Threats to Watch Out For

Cybercriminals find various ways to get into company’s computer networks, often by tricking users into giving confidential information. Social engineering schemes, also known as “phishing” attacks, seek to trick users into clicking a link or into believing the email is from their supervisor. Malware and viruses then have a way to enter networks and steal confidential information as well as infect an entire network. Attackers are using some of the very same emerging technologies–artificial intelligence and machine learning, for instance–to find ways into networks and to evade detection when doing so. This can result in costly downtime for the organization, costly ransom requests and more. How, then, can these attacks be prevented?

 

Defending Your Network Against Ransomware Attacks

One common attack is ransomware.  Ransomware can get into your system by social engineering (“phishing”), including dangerous attachments. This malware can encrypt or lock your computers, making data and applications inaccessible. To get data and applications back can be costly,  with an average payout of $13,000, according to CompTIA. Having current anti-virus and anti-malware definitions along with operating system patches is just a start. Your company can also do real-time backups to the cloud, so you won’t have to pay the ransom. Finally, you can train your employees to recognize ransomware sources like phishing emails and to report them.  For example, they can be trained to note tip-offs for a phishing attack, like typographical errors. If something happens, they need to know who to inform so that the attack can be mitigated.
 
Cyber threats are always with us. However, there are ways to protect your company from attacks that both steal vital information from, and introduce harmful viruses into, your network. For help in developing a plan, contact your trusted Focalized Networks advisor today.