Cyberthreats 2024: Understand how the burglars can get in, so you know how to keep them out
Only when you understand how the burglars can get in, can you learn how to keep them out.
These days, cyber criminals relentlessly target businesses of all sizes, all the time.
The consequences of a successful cyber attack can be utterly catastrophic, both in terms of financial losses and damage to your business’s reputation. And the attacks take many different forms, all with increasing sophistication. You’ve likely heard of ransomware attacks that have totally shut down businesses, and the horror of businesses having their data stolen and sold on the dark web.
These facts are not meant to scare you, but to educate you. When you know what you’re up against, you can be prepared.
So, let’s take a look at what we’re up against this year:
Ransomware
It’s a very specific kind of attack where criminals get into your network, lock you out to prevent you from accessing your own data, and then charge a huge fee to let you back in. There’s no guarantee they will, of course. And a full ransomware attack implemented well can be very hard to undo.
IoT Gadget Attacks
Have you heard of the IoT? It means Internet of Things – devices other than our computers and phones that go online. Think your TV, your doorbell and even your fridge. Unfortunately, these gadgets often come with security that’s as good as a cardboard fort. Cyber criminals see this as a golden opportunity, and they’re ready to pounce.
Invisible attacks
Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) are the sneakiest of attacks, where criminals aim for long-term unauthorised access to your systems. They do it to monitor what you’re doing, and see what opportunities arise.
Mobile threats
Your mobile gadgets are treasure troves of personal and financial information. You can expect to see a rise in phone-specific threats like malware, banking trojans that try to get your login details, and phishing attacks where they get you to use your real login data on a fake site.
Supply chain attacks
This is where criminals compromise trusted vendors or thirdparty service providers. They insert malicious code into legitimate software updates or gain privileged access to multiple organisations through these trusted entities.
AI enters the game
Cyber criminals are using AI to automate attacks, improve evasion techniques, and craft clever social engineering tactics. On the flip side, businesses are adopting AI-powered security solutions to spot threats in real-time.
There’s a lot to think about, isn’t there? But the only way to protect your business is to take a fully proactive approach.
Download our informative Cyberthreats Guide to see the top 10 steps we recommend to give your business the highest levels of protection.
