Almost all companies use computers to run their business today, making them vulnerable to malicious threats.
Having bad cybersecurity increases the risk of losing your whole system. Hackers may erase all your data, alter files, steal credit card information, and make unauthorized purchases. This results in damage to your business and brand.
Cybersecurity threats are always changing and evolving. Making sure your business learns the basics and how threats work is the first step in preventing your company from being attacked.
Common Cyber Threats
Phishing
Phishing is a procedure of trying to obtain personal information through deceptive emails and websites. Designing believable emails or websites that people enter their personal details on.
You may also accidentally download software that contains malware and viruses that track steal all your computer or business information. This can be devastating for businesses as they can take control of your assets, systems, and money.
Common phishing scams come from fraudsters attempting to impersonate a legitimate company in an attempt to steal your personal data or login credentials. Usually using threats and create a sense of urgency to scare users into doing what they want. The most common companies that they impersonate are Apple, CRA, Netflix, Amazon, and Paypal.
The easiest way to spot these phishing emails is to look at their email addresses and see discrepancies from their actual email. Inspect all the URL pages you click, general salutations, grammar mistakes, and spelling errors written throughout the email.
Facebook Scams
Facebook social engineering scams have become more prominent, primarily through using Facebook Messenger.
Often trying to steal your account by sending a message to log in to their account, verify their account details, or recover their password with a link that looks like a Facebook webpage. If the browser address bar reads anything else than “facebook.com,” then it’s a scam trying to get your private information.
Ransomware
Ransomware encrypts the victim’s files and demand money or ransom from the victim to restore their access to the data when they receive their payment. They are provided instructions on how to pay the fee, usually costing large sums of money.
This is bad for small businesses as they don’t have the money like large companies. Having your files frozen will hurt your company as you’ll not be able to run your business and services.
Malware
Malware is software that tries to damage devices, steal data, and take control of systems. There are several types of malware; Virus, Trojans, Spyware, and Worms.
- Viruses infect files that damage your system’s core functionality which results in files being corrupted.
- Trojans hides as legitimate software. They create backdoors to your device and let other malware in.
- Spyware is made to spy on you. They hide in the background, tracking your passwords, credit card numbers, and other habits.
- Worms infect entire networks of devices locally or through the internet.
How to Protect Yourself From Viruses and Scams
Clear Tracking Cookies
Tracking cookies are small lines of codes that websites use to attach to your computer to store information on what you do on the internet. This information contains personalized data that can be sold to companies around the world without your consent.
You can clear these cookies and stop the tracking from websites by finding the “Clear Browsing Data” on your browser. Click on cookies and press okay to remove the data.
Two-Factor Authentication
Two-Factor authentication provides another security layer of verification to access to your account. These forms of authentication involve:
- Something you are (fingerprint or facial recognition)
- Something you have (Mobile Phone)
- Something you know (Security Question/Answer).
With two-factor authentication enabled, knowing the password alone is useless. This is vital for businesses that have crucial information and files stored online that need that extra security towards their data.
Secure Password
One of the easiest ways for hackers can steal your information is going through brute force. Having a batch of username and password combinations and attempting to login to your accounts.
That’s why have a strong and unique password for every single online account is crucial in protecting your data. However, remembering all these usernames and passwords can be difficult. That’s why we recommend using a password manager.
A password manager stores all the passwords that you have used online automatically. It can create strong and unique passwords immediately, reducing the time remembering passwords or frustration spent on resetting forgotten passwords. All you have to do is remember the master password that stores all the passwords.
Anti-Virus
Antivirus software is an essential utility to protect your computer from trojans, malware, ransomware, viruses, and spyware. Your device is continuously being attacked by malicious programs designed to invade your privacy and steal your personal data. That’s why having an extra layer of security that protects attacks on your computer is crucial to keeping your computer safe from malicious attacks.
VPN
Virtual Private Network protects your privacy and information while securing your web session by creating a secure line from your device to the internet. This allows the VPN to encrypt and safeguard your sensitive data, including your passwords, banking details, and credit card details.
They also hide your IP address by replacing it with the VPN server’s address, allowing you to remain anonymous online. Preventing your Internet Service Provider and the government from tracking your web browsing activities.
Most businesses and individuals take their online security too lightly. Waiting until they lose relevant data, files, money, or important online accounts before installing preventative measures.
Maintaining your privacy and staying safe on the internet is as important as locking your front door. Adopting good habits and having software that protects your information online is crucial in keeping your business and yourself safe in the online world.
