As technology evolves, so do the cyberthreats that put all of our industries in danger. Hackers are smart, and they adapt to the times. When a new form of tech is created to make our lives easier or help our business succeed, hackers can quickly find a way to take advantage of this for their own malicious purposes. That is why all companies must stay on top of cybersecurity trends year after year.
It is important to dedicate resources to preventing data breaches because one incident could put your bottom line and the future of your enterprise at risk. In addition to knowing the current threats, your company should also invest in the newest protections. Let’s talk about how to stay informed and protected in both areas.
Stay Informed
While most managers and business owners understand that there is always the chance of cybercrime, not everyone takes the proper precautions, especially if they believe they are not likely to be a target. However, that is a flawed way of thinking, and failure to act could quickly lead to an attack.
Many small business owners fall into this trap because they think that the data they have is not worth the effort, but good hackers will take the chance to steal any corporate or customer data that they can get their hands on. In fact, on the topic of trends, over 42% of small businesses were affected by a data breach over the last year alone, so proper protection is essential for all companies.
So, how do you stay on top of current trends? You can keep an eye on headlines and verify sources of information, such as the Department of Homeland Security. You can also bring an expert into your organization that can keep on top of trends on your behalf. An IT or cybersecurity expert will be a knowledgeable asset, and they can keep an eye on potential threats and proactively ensure that your network is protected against them.
Even if you have an expert on the team, you can also put time and resources towards training your employees. The employees can learn about new and existing threats and keep an eye out for red flags. Your staff should implement proper cybersecurity protections into their everyday work lives, and if they notice something suspicious, they should be told to report it immediately. You’ll never know if the potential threat they experience could be a new trend.
New Threats
As we head into the year 2022, many emerging threats could impact your business if you don’t take action. For instance, although they have been around for a while, many experts predict that ransomware attacks will rise globally by 61% during the upcoming year.
If you’re unaware, ransomware is a tactic used by hackers where they send a phishing email or a virus and take control of your system. Once inside your system, they lock the device or encrypt the information within until a ransom is paid, often in untraceable cryptocurrency.
Ransomware is bad for hospitals and financial institutions. Still, the threat is also growing in other unexpected industries, including in the automotive sector, where back in 2015, hackers were briefly able to gain access to a driver’s vehicle. Ransomware attacks must be thwarted before they can occur.
To prevent the possibility of this attack, companies must educate their staff on the dangers of phishing scams. It is also possible to maintain backup servers so you can quickly recover data without having to give in to the hacker’s demands.
As the world evolves, many companies catch onto common scams and change their systems accordingly to thwart their attacks. Such is the case with email providers like Google and Outlook, as they can now automatically detect phishing emails and immediately label them as spam. Thus, hackers have turned to SMS-based phishing, where hackers send the same fake communications with a dangerous link but this time to the employee’s phone.
Companies need to be proactive to prevent this threat by creating a device usage policy for all workers. The policy can advise when they can use their mobile devices for work and communicate with internal and external customers to reduce the threat.
New Prevention Measures
On top of the concerns above, many other threats are making themselves known in 2022, including:
- PDF Scams — Hackers attach a fake PDF document to an official-looking email.
- Credential Stuffing — Hackers learn a user’s password and use that information to access other programs.
- Man-In-The-Middle Attack — The hacker creates a fake Wi-Fi network, and the user unknowingly connects, giving the criminal access to their device and files.
It can be difficult for an individual to keep track of everything, so technology must be implemented to keep your company protected.
One of the newest trends that companies are utilizing is artificial intelligence. An effective AI program can do what traditional antivirus software cannot by constantly analyzing and searching for new threats across all industries and ensuring that these issues will not affect your systems. If the AI finds a risk may impact you directly, the program can create an alert.
Machine learning and AI are essential because these systems can scan and analyze huge amounts of data within moments and provide results faster than a person ever could.
Another growing trend in protecting data is backing up valuable information and programs onto a cloud server. The information stored on the cloud is often encrypted, and companies that run these servers typically have their own IT and security team so they can protect your data even when you cannot. As an added benefit, having your data available from anywhere also makes it easier for your staff to work remotely without missing a beat.
In the end, there is a lot to keep track of when it comes to cybersecurity, so it is important to put a plan into action today so that protecting your systems doesn’t become a hassle and you don’t miss a potential threat. Consider the facts and tips described here and run your business with confidence.