The 4 Most Common Cyber Threats and How to Stop Them
Jun 3, 2021
Cybersecurity is a growing concern. A Hiscox's Cyber Readiness Report for 2021 showed that 43% of firms had experienced a cyberattack in the last year, up from 38% the previous year. As more business moves online, the risk increases, but you can make it harder for cyberthieves to steal your data.
Modern cybersecurity technology paired with effective security awareness training can reduce attacks that result from human error or sophisticated tech.
Ransomware
Ransomware is software that encrypts your data so you can't access it without paying the attacker to unlock it. The software gets downloaded to your computer when you click on a link in the attacker's email.
Ways to protect yourself from ransomware include:
Security awareness training
Security awareness training teaches staff not to click links in fraudulent emails. Attackers may impersonate a real business by using its logo, but the email address won't use the company's domain name. For example, if an email claims to be coming from Amazon, but the originating email address does not end in amazon.com, it's probably fake.
Email attachment sandboxing
Automated sandboxing of email attachments and opening links in an isolated browser can prevent ransomware and malware from reaching your system, even when a user clicks on a bad actor's link or attachment.
Data Backups
Backing up your data means you can recover it without paying a ransom. Experts recommend off-site backups.
Phishing
Phishing is a technique that tricks people into revealing sensitive information. Attackers send an email that appears to be a legitimate request for information. The email may contain a real logo and use convincing wording to make you believe it's from a trusted contact such as a bank or government agency.
Ways to prevent phishing attacks include:
Spam filters
Spam filters can identify emails that are likely to be phishing attacks. You'll want to occasionally check the spam folder to make sure that legitimate emails don't get flagged, but seeing an email in the spam folder will alert you that it's more likely to be fake.
Security awareness training
Employees can learn the signs that an email is fake with effective security awareness training. For example, companies shouldn't ask you to email them sensitive information, and they won't request that you enter private information in a pop-up window. It's also important to check that the sender's email address ends with the company's real domain name.
Data leakage
Portable devices such as iPhones and flash drives are susceptible to theft, and thieves can easily retrieve sensitive data if it's not protected. The following security measures keep data from leaving your office:
Passcodes
Any device with your organization's information should be required to lock with a passcode after a short period of inactivity. It only takes a few minutes for a thief to steal a device and download its data.
Encryption software
You may not be able to stop thieves from accessing portable data sources, but encryption software will keep them from accessing any of the information on it.
Secure paper records
Paper records are an often overlooked way that thieves get sensitive data. Always file sensitive paper records in a locked cabinet where unauthorized viewers can't see them.
Insider threats
Theft by authorized users is difficult to prevent. It's best to limit staff to the minimum access they need to do their jobs. When someone leaves the staff, any passwords they had access to should be changed.
Cybersecurity protocols
Having established protocols for onboarding and exiting employees that meet robust cybersecurity standards can help prevent insider threats from slipping through the cracks.
Press Release Service by Newswire.com
Original Source: The 4 Most Common Cyber Threats and How to Stop Them
More News
‘Frankenstein monster’: Congress targets poll body over SIR notices to 33 lakh Delhi voters
The Delhi Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office stated system-generated notices were being issued to voters with discrepancies to correct their data in ECINET
TN government’s rooftop solar subsidy to catalyse adoption but awareness is key
In an official notification recently, the State government approved a proposal to support rooftop solar installation with subsidies of ₹5,000, ₹10,000 and ₹22,000 for 1 kW, 2kW and 3kW systems respectively
China gets closer to Jupiter mission by bringing Nasa’s StarNAV concept to life
Chinese researchers have tested a new way for spacecraft to navigate in deep space, putting a concept funded by Nasa into practice and paving the way for the country’s planned mission to Jupiter in 2030. Known as stellar aberration navigation, the approach uses tiny shifts in the relative position of stars to work out how fast a probe is moving and in what direction, allowing autonomous real-time navigation without constantly relying on tracking and commands from Earth. In a low-Earth-orbit...
Survey finds US public opinion shifting in favour of engagement with China
On the eve of this week’s summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Americans feel better about China, according to a poll released on Monday. They see Beijing as less of a threat, are less supportive of Taiwan and are more likely to favour engagement over containment than last year or in 2024, when views hit an all-time low. As with almost everything in the US these days, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs survey revealed a partisan divide. And while the...
Former top PLA generals expelled from Communist Party for factionalism and disloyalty
The Communist Party accused former military leaders Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli of factionalism and disloyalty, expelling them from the party and the armed forces following a Politburo meeting on Monday, state media reported. Zhang was once a vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and the highest-ranking uniformed member of the Chinese military, second only to Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The CMC is China’s top military decision-making body. Zhang was also a member of the party’s...
Success of Trump-Xi summit lies in what happens afterwards
Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington this week, after the May talks in Beijing and before the November Apec summit in Shenzhen. This sequence of diplomacy will test if the commitment to building a “constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability” translates into practical arrangements. The Washington meeting faces clear limits. Differences over trade, technology, industrial policy, Taiwan and regional security are deeply embedded in...
Asian Games 2026 Highlights: Shooters Add 3 Medals, Shuttlers And Paddlers Enter Quarters
India in Asian Games Highlights: It was another good day for the Indian contingent.
'Why Was I Alone?': Varun Sanyal, Son Of PM Advisory Council Member, After Controversial Asiad Exit
Indian MMA fighter Varun Sanyal, on of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Economic Advisory Council member, has questioned why was he left alone at his weight cut.
Asian Games 2026: India Shooters Continue To Shine, Suchika Clinches Historic Bronze
Shooters were the star for India on Tuesday as they added as many as three medals to the country's tally.
Nearly half of Taiwanese lack confidence in US defence commitments, survey finds
Nearly half of Taiwanese lack confidence that Washington will continue military aid and arms sales to the island, a new survey shows. The results of the poll were released on Monday, ahead of this week’s summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The poll by Taiwan-based United Daily News found 47 per cent were not confident the United States would continue providing military assistance and selling weapons to Taiwan, slightly exceeding the 44 per cent who remained...
Railway works worth over ₹20,000 crore under way in Kerala, says Vaishnaw
Mangaluru to stay in SWR zone; land acquisition lag holding up several sanctioned lines and doubling projects
China allows foreign visitors to skip police stations, register stay online
Foreign visitors to China who choose to stay somewhere other than a hotel can now register their accommodation with the authorities online, which analysts say will make travelling to the country more convenient. China’s Exit and Entry Administration Law mandates that foreigners register their accommodation with the police within 24 hours of arrival. Those who fail to do so could be issued a warning or fined up to 2,000 yuan (US$298). This applies both to foreign visitors arriving in the country...
YOUR NEWS, OUR NETWORK.
Do you have Great News you want to tell the world?
Be it updates about your business or your community, you can make sure that it’s heard by submitting your story to our network reaching hundreds of news sites across 6 verticals.