Common Cyber Attacks on Small Businesses and How to Avoid Them
Small businesses face cyber risks every day, and if they are not prepared, they will run into massive problems. Here at GSec, we do our best to help businesses like yours improve their cybersecurity posture, but there are some things we suggest you do now to protect yourself from the most common cyber threats.
1. Phishing Attacks
The biggest and most threatening type of cyber attack on small businesses is phishing. A phishing attack is when an attacker pretends to be a trusted party and entices someone to click on a malicious link or a download file that gives them access to sensitive information.
Phishing accounts for more than 90% of all breaches that small businesses face, and that number has increased 65% in the last year. Over $12 billion have been lost by businesses as a result of phishing.
Phishing attacks are not new: they have been around since the dawn of the internet but have become much more sophisticated over the years. Part of what makes them so dangerous is that they are difficult to combat, and they use social engineering to target humans with businesses that are more likely to be susceptible to such attacks.
The best way to avoid becoming the victim of a phishing attack is to have a robust Email Security Gateway. It is also a good idea to educate your employees and require Security Awareness Training. Educated employees are more likely to pick up on phishing attacks.
2. Malware Attacks
The second biggest cyber threat to small businesses is a malware attack. This type of attack encompasses a variety of threats, including trojans and viruses. It is a varied term for malicious code that attackers use to access networks and steal data.
Malware attacks are particularly dangerous for small businesses because they can cripple costly devices. Additionally, they can give attackers access to data which can put customers and employees at risk. Since small businesses are more likely to employ people that use their own devices at work, it is also more likely that your employee’s personal information is stolen.
Small businesses should implement strong technological defenses to prevent malware attacks, such as Endpoint Protection solutions. These solutions protect devices from malware downloads and give admins a central control panel to manage devices. Web Security is also essential as it can prevent users from accessing malicious web pages.
3. Ransomware
Ransomware involves encrypting company data so that it cannot be used or accessed, thus forcing the business to pay a ransom to unlock the data. It is one of the most common cyber attacks, hitting thousands of businesses every year.
In 2018, 71% of ransomware attacks targeted small businesses, with an average ransom demand of $116,000. Attackers know that they are far more likely to be paid out by small businesses because their data is less likely to be backed up. In particular, the healthcare sector is badly hit by this type of attack.
To avoid these types of attacks, businesses should implement strong Endpoint Protection on all of their devices. It is also essential to set up effective cloud backup solutions so that if there is an attack, your business does not need to consider paying out the attackers.
By: Alex O’Reilly
https://www.executech.com/insight/top-15-types-of-cybersecurity-attacks-how-to-prevent-them/