What is Cybersecurity all about? 4 Common Types of Cyber-Attacks to Look Out For.

What is Cybersecurity all about? 4 Common Types of Cyber-Attacks to Look Out For.

If someone asked you “what is cybersecurity” would you struggle to have a concise answer? Most of us know it’s something we probably need, it costs money and probably protects us against stuff. But what is it all about, how does it work and more importantly – is it really worth your time and money?

Cybersecurity is an umbrella term that refers to everything from best practices, technology, IT services and processes all designed to prevent cyber-attacks. The implementation of cybersecurity processes will protect your network, systems and programs from being hacked into or compromised in some way.

A robust cybersecurity approach has multiple layers of protection that can be effectively implemented across your entire infrastructure. The primary aim is to stop any unauthorised access to your networks and data.

Why is cybersecurity important? 

Cyber threats are a very real risk for organisations and individuals globally – anyone could be a potential target. A recent study by Hiscox found that there was an estimated 65,000 cyber-attacks attempted on small businesses alone in one year. In light of these statistics and the estimated 4.5 million cybercrimes committed in England and Wales in 2018, we can see that cybersecurity is something to treat as an absolute necessity.

Having effective cybersecurity in place across everything from mobile phones, to apps and emails could save your business a lot of worries, and money. Keeping business running, as usual, is crucial for any organisation that needs to deliver for customers. One of the primary effects of cyber-attacks is downtime which, no matter how long or short, costs money. Doing everything that you can to prevent downtime from occurring is vital to maintain productivity and profitability across your business.

Common types of cyber attacks to look out for.

Phishing

These attacks come in the form of harmful emails that deceive people into divulging sensitive data. They are becoming increasingly sophisticated so are much harder to spot. Phishing emails are the most common type of cyber attack.

Red flag: Phishing emails usually ask for something urgently to make the reader feel under pressure – read everything twice (or three times!) before sharing any data including phone numbers or credit card details.

Malware

This is a type of software designed specifically to infiltrate networks through unauthorised access to cause damage. Malware can have devastating effects, shutting down entire computers and systems. Some types of malware can travel from device to device through connections and can spread rapidly.

Red flag: Malware usually gains access through the clicking of dodgy links in emails, or the acceptance of files/granting permissions through anything from texts to Bluetooth connection.

Ransomware

Ransomware is a particular kind of malicious software that aims to extort money from victims. Hackers gain access to data and hold files ransom so that the user can no longer access them until a large sum of money is paid to the hacker.

Red flag: Like with all kinds of malware, the best way to prevent Ransomware attacks is to educate your team to be able to confidently identify fraudulent links, downloads and emails. Never give permissions or access to a user that you do not recognise and have not thoroughly checked.

SQL Injection

A Structured Query Language (SQL) injection is caused by an attacker inserting malicious code into a server that uses SQL and forces it to display data that it normally would not divulge to unauthorised users. For a hacker, this kind of attack can cause damage quickly and easily as sometimes all it takes is malicious code being entered into the search bar of your website.

Red flag: Many databases that store important data for websites use SQL so it’s important to make sure that you have no weak spots anywhere. SQL injections can be inserted into any vulnerable areas and can cause a lot of damage.

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