Cyber Threats Every Business Owner Must Know

Cyber attacks can take your business productivity towards significant decline, and no owner can even dream of something like that. So, to keep your nerves at ease, here are a few names to ponder on, and thus, look for their solutions in advance.

Top Cyber Threats Every Business Should Know

Phishing Attacks

A phishing attack originates when the attacker pretends to be someone else. Basically, the target receives phone calls, messages or emails, which apparently seem like from an authorized person or company. 

Not everyone is able to differentiate between a fake call or email and an original one. Therefore, such attackers effortlessly deceive innocent business workers. To be precise, the elements that they imitate comprise the logo and style of official communications. 

Nevertheless, there are often subtle misspellings that employees can observe. Alternatively, such attempts often cite very compelling reasons to take action. 

Ransomware

It is a kind of malware or malicious software. The criminals, this way, hold vital data for ransom. Businesses usually fear this sort of cybersecurity threat due to its drastic impact. 

Moreover, usually, the entry point of ransom is phishing. The users might get malicious links through emails. Another tactic is exploring vulnerabilities of operating systems, for instance, and exploiting them in order to gain access.

Once clicked, ransomware does not immediately encrypt. In fact, it takes time to map out the structure of the network and determine which data is extremely imperative. Also, it searches for connected devices, cloud storage and backup systems. 

Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attacks

This dangerous cyber attempt disrupts the normal traffic of the server that is being targeted. The flooding of internet traffic then creates hindrances for the actual users who might be your potential customers. 

In order to comprehend its process, the attacker can infect different internet-connected devices, including servers, IoT devices and computers. And that with the use of malware. This remote control leads to a massive volume of traffic to a specific target. 

Data Breaches

A data breach is a critical threat to the privacy of a business, which definitely results in very unpleasant consequences. 

The information that the criminals usually target is financial data, such as bank account and payment details, phone numbers, login credentials and customer records. 

Moreover, the cyber attacks that lead to such breaches encompass phishing and ransomware, as illustrated above. However, weak credentials are also a huge vulnerability of a business. Credential stuffing and brute-force attacks might be utilized to accomplish this goal. 

Human error is also a cause of data breaches. A worker might accidentally showcase business data to the person with wrong intentions. This eventually makes the data insecure.

Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attacks

These attacks depend on intercepting communications between two different but lawful parties. The alerting aspect is that these parties are not aware of someone eavesdropping their conversation. Thus, the criminals might also steal or exchange important information.

The occurrence of impersonation is also there in MitM attacks. During a communication, it impersonates one party to the other. Hence, it has the strength to even manipulate the data before it reaches the other legitimate party. 

The real-time example is public Wi-Fi eavesdropping, where the attacker can set up a fake Wi-Fi hotspot that looks quite like the real one. 

Internal Cyber Risks

When cyber threats originate from within your organization, then they are internal cyber risks. There is another well-famed name for them, called insider threats. Also, they are quite harmful because these employees already know your policies and vulnerabilities.

Insider threats come in a few kinds, such as unintentional insiders who do not have a malicious intent. Nonetheless, due to lack of awareness or carelessness can form vulnerabilities. 

Another type is intentional insider. Such an individual aims to intentionally damage business data. For example, they might steal sensitive information or sell it to competitors. 

What Can Genius Fixers Do as an MSP?

  • We are a renowned managed service provider in the USA and our cybersecurity services are always effective, no matter what kind your business is being challenged by. 
  • Our team is capable of proactively scanning for vulnerabilities in various places, such as operating systems and software. Thus, we can apply necessary updates when required.
  • Our endpoint detection and response solutions are helpful in safeguarding devices like laptops and smartphones. This way, your business assets can remain protected from ransomware, for instance. 
  • Besides, our availability is 24/7; hence, whenever you need assistance regarding cybersecurity threats and securing your systems, make good use of our responsiveness.

Wrapping Up

The aforementioned content discussed various cybersecurity threats that any business might encounter, especially the ones relying on technologies. Examples are insider threats, MitM attacks, DDoS attacks, phishing attacks and ransomware. 

Contacting us is always a better notion, whether to enhance your knowledge about attacks or look for an effective solution.

FAQs

Is every business vulnerable to cyber attacks?

Yes, that’s the harsh reality because almost every business is dependent on technology. So, there are higher chances of them encountering cyber attacks. 

Also, typically, they all use computers, email addresses, cloud services and websites. And cybercriminals use their tactics to target them for their own benefit. 

Is there one biggest cybersecurity threat that businesses should be watchful for?

Businesses should remain careful as phishing as well as ransomware are prevailing.

Ransomware is a very dangerous threat as it compromises business data. Therefore, it makes it available only when you pay a ransom. On the other hand, phishing is more about tricking users into revealing sensitive information. 

Is it necessary for a business to consult an MSP in the time of a cyber attack?

It is not necessary, but it is extremely crucial, particularly when you have no backup in the form of an internal cybersecurity team. Genius Fixers is a remarkable example in this regard, as we can serve you in various ways to ensure that your important business data is completely safe.