4 of the Biggest Cybersecurity Risks Your Business Faces

Most small businesses have trouble navigating cybersecurity, and that’s because there are too many threats to count. You might even feel like you're a little over your head yourself. Today, we’re bringing to you four of the biggest threats to watch out for on the Internet, as well as what you can do to keep them from impacting your operations.

Simple Paths Forward

Just like the story of the Trojan Horse, all it takes is one oversight to create serious issues for your business’ cybersecurity.

A phishing attack takes advantage of the human element of your business to trick users into letting them onto your infrastructure. Phishing messages, phone calls, text messages, and so on will try to urge your team into taking immediate action, and all it takes is one slip-up to let your walls come tumbling down. It could be a malicious link, or it could be an email attachment, but one thing’s for sure; a phishing attack is only the beginning of your troubles.

After all, once a hacker is in, they’re sure to have a field day with whatever data they can get their hands on.

Data at Gunpoint

What would you do if your data were encrypted, and in order to get it back, you’d have to pay a fat ransom?

This is what ransomware does; it locks down files and demands payment for their safe return. Cybercriminals have also been utilizing double-extortion and even triple-extortion with ransomware attacks, where they’ll threaten to release data on the black market or leak it to the public if you don’t comply. No business wants to find itself on the receiving end of a ransomware attack.

It’s important that you never pay the ransom, and instead have a solid backup and disaster recovery system in place that can help you skirt the threats as much as possible.

The C-Suite Impersonator

Thanks to Business Email Compromise attacks, even CEOs and other C-suite executives are at risk of having their identities stolen for use in more nefarious attacks.

These types of attacks exploit the elevated authority that C-Suite executives enjoy to make suspicious requests. For example, they might trick employees, customers, or partners into making fraudulent wire transfers or sharing sensitive information. These attacks are usually well-crafted, timely, and appear to be a part of a larger legitimate business conversation, which makes them harder to identify.

BEC attacks can cost businesses billions of dollars annually, so you can’t underestimate them.

Insider Threats

Cyberattacks don’t just come from outside your business; they can also come from within.

Granted, many of these types of threats surface accidentally, but that doesn’t make them okay. Whether it’s a malicious insider or a disgruntled employee who refuses to take security seriously, you can bet that they’re more likely to sabotage your business through phishing messages, weak passwords, or misconfiguring important settings. Human error is the lead cause of security breaches, so what can you do to stop it?

The answer: comprehensive security training for employees and powerful security solutions for your network infrastructure.

Prepare Now

Your business doesn’t have to struggle with cybersecurity; after all, half the battle is being prepared and preventing attacks in the first place. To learn more about how we can support your business’ efforts at cybersecurity, reach out to us at (205) 208-0340 today.