Data breaches and ransomware attacks always seem to hit the “other guy” or organization. Not anymore – recent research shows that nearly 50% of all businesses and agencies have experienced some sort of cyber-attack. Most cyber-attacks are thwarted at the outset by good defensive procedures. Do you or your agency have what it takes to fend off an attack? You may have been attacked and not even know it. You may be lucky, but I hope you are also resilient. We can discuss some ways to prepare and defend.
First, there are various types of cyber-attacks:
- Hacking – use of any kind of technique to gain access to your computer.
- Malware – use of viruses, trojans, and worms; where you open an email, download a file or software, or even click on a link and infectious code comes along and installs itself on your computer.
- Phishing – sending of emails from apparent reputable sources to get you to reveal information such as passwords or financial information.
- DDoS attacks – distributed denial-of-service attacks. Attacks on a server, website, or network to overwhelm them with more traffic than they can handle and to render them inoperable.
- Brute force attacks – use of various passwords and usernames to gain access to a website or server.
Next, here are ways you can prevent these types of attacks:
- Update, update, update – developers of software and devices build added security into new products and into frequent updates to lessen an attacker’s ability to exploit your system.
- Firewalls – the blocking of any incoming traffic from unsecure sites or possible malware. Your spam file is full of them. Look at the junk coming in there. Also, you need updated anti-virus software.
- Two-factor authentication – many banks and financial organizations are using this where a code is sent to your phone number on file, and it must be entered before you gain access to your account.
- Education – make your employees aware of the most recent threats and have them report any suspicious activity. Educate them on changing their passwords, logins, etc.
- Security response plan – how are events handled internally when they happen? Do all employees know what and when to report something? If it affects one, it affects all.
Finally, there are professionals in your area who can arm your organization with the best cybersecurity prevention techniques so you do not become another statistic or victim.
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