Cybersecurity is a concept that businesses have had to evolve to understand over the last few decades. Cyber-attacks are a very real threat that can cause harm to all kinds of businesses and individuals.
Before the internet existed, this was obviously not a problem that anybody experienced. However, as digitalization has increased across all industries, this is an issue that business owners must take seriously.
What is Cybersecurity?
If you are a business owner and you do not know what cybersecurity is, then it is very important that you take the time to learn. If you do not do this, then you are exposing your company to a possible attack.
Cybersecurity is the act of protecting online systems from digital attacks. These attacks can take place for a wide range of reasons and will generally all be of detriment to the company in question. This is why protecting your company through the assistance of an expert agency is always going to be of great benefit. They can talk you through in more detail about the dangers posed to you and what you can do to prevent or deal with them. Plus, you get their expert help.
What are the Risks?
While learning about cybersecurity, you should also familiarize yourself with the various forms that it takes. If a cyber-attack were to hit your business, this could happen in a number of ways.
An attack could be:
- Ransomware
- Malware
- Endpoint Attacks
- Phishing
Read on to discover more about these problems and how they could harm your business!
Malware
Malware is an umbrella term for any kind of malicious software that is designed to cause harm to a computer device or IT network.
Malware is most commonly used to extract data that can be used for financial gains, such as customer credit card information. It can also be used to obtain total control over a computer or a network, which can then quickly spread and cause further issues.
Ransomware
Ransomware is a particular type of malware that will encrypt your data and hold it at ransom.
If you become the victim of a ransomware attack, then it is possible that your entire network could be frozen until you pay the ransom demand. You might be surprised to learn that billions of dollars are being paid to cybercriminals who launch these kinds of attacks.
Endpoint Attacks
An endpoint is a specific hardware device that is used to access a system, such as a computer, a tablet, or a mobile phone. Endpoint attacks can take control of these devices and render them useless to the rightful user. This can cause data loss and also expose private information.
Phishing
Phishing is the practice of sending fake communications that pose as a reputable source. For example, a hacker might send an email that seems as though it is from your bank in order to encourage you to share financial information.
This type of attack makes it very easy for the fraudster to steal sensitive information as the victim willingly gives it away. This could lead to financial harm as well as loss of data. Phishing attacks also pave the way for hackers to install malware on a system.