Halloween may be over, but the threat of frightening cyber-attacks are still out to get you - what exactly is out there?
Forbes, alongside many other publications and IT professionals have labelled cyberattacks an ever-increasing issue. Malicious users who can do serious damage are a real threat and the damage they can do is shocking. As an overall topic, this message seems to get across to organisations, but do they know what it takes to keep up with fending off attacks, or how severe the threat is? Infosec reported:
“Weekly cyber-attacks have increased worldwide by 7% in Q1 2023, compared to the same period last year, with each firm facing an average of 1248 attacks per week.” *
In this blog, we will be detailing the common and severe forms of cyber-attacks, and how they affect a business. Attacks reach businesses of all sizes and can take on average 22 days to recover. **
A huge area of cyber-attacks is malware. Malware is short for malicious software and is a type of program or code that is created with the sole purpose to do harm to the computer, network, or server it is downloaded into. Malware is a large umbrella that covers many other different malicious threats. While it may be easy to simply wave off the idea that you would ever download such damaging software – there are many circumstances where it has proved successful through deceit and less informed users.
One such subset is ransomware. At iStorage, we often discuss the topic of ransomware, as it is a hugely damaging and growing issue in cyber security. Through the utilisation of malware distributed via phishing, this form of attack encrypts a user's data, rendering it inaccessible. The attacker then demands a payment in exchange for a decryption key. This situation can pose serious issues for users, impacting not only personal data but also crucial documents for working employees, potentially involving sensitive information. At its most severe, a ransomware attack can lead to a significant amount of company data being stolen and sold. In the best-case scenario, it involves substantial payments to regain access to the information. Instances of ransomware attacks have resulted in severe consequences, such as the complete downfall of a business due to detrimental payments, regulatory fines, or loss of trust in the company's reputation.
Phishing stands as the most widely recognised form of cyber-attacks. In this scheme, malicious actors’ endeavour to deceive users into engaging with them by enticing clicks that lead to unsafe websites or malware downloads. These deceptive attempts can take on different guises, spanning social media, text messages, or emails. This allows a gateway from the hacker to the user to blackmail or steal precious data. These links are disguised, and the messages can often be tailored to something the user will resonate with. This can include an email from their online banking account explaining that they need to deactivate their card after it has been compromised or something to do with work like a previous campaign.
To avoid these attacks, it’s imperative that companies (of all sizes) exercise and teach digital hygiene, have the right tools to secure information, and back up work. Recognising threats and keeping up with digital hygiene will allow employees to understand the threats, and ways to avoid them, making it a fortified front against attackers.
Practicing digital hygiene involves several key aspects: maintaining robust passwords, regularly updating software, and adhering to cybersecurity protocols like zero trust. Utilising appropriate tools, such as encrypted USB flash drives, hard drives, or solid-state drives, ensures comprehensive protection of all stored data. Additionally, creating encrypted offline backups safeguards your work outside the computer, ensuring that in the event of a ransomware attack, the offline protected data remains unaffected, allowing you to quickly restore and get back to normal.
* https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/global-cyber-attacks-rise-7-q1-2023/
** https://www.provendata.com/blog/how-long-does-it-take-to-recover-from-ransomware/#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20Statista%20survey,investigation%20process%2C%20and%20system%20building
