Report Top 4 Security Threats of 2022
A report released in early 2022 by IT security firm Proof point highlights the magnitude of the threat for businesses worldwide. This report estimates thatnearly two-thirds of businesses globally have seen an increase in targeted cyber attacks since they switched to widespread remote work.As security threats increase, IT leaders and their teams must up their game accordingly. This means a few things:
? Being aware of the range of threats that exist today
? Prioritizing the threats that are most common and that have the potential to be the most damaging and costly
? Having the right solutions in place to deal with worst case scenarios like data and/or security breaches
Get a free demo today to see how Quorum can protect you. [email protected] OR Click To Book?a time slot as per your availability for a meeting to know more about the solution.
In this guide, we’ll discuss the four biggest IT security threats businesses face in 2021, and tell you what you can do today to ensure your organization is protected.
1. Ransomware
According to a report by cybersecurity firm Deep Instinct, ransomware attacks increased by 435% in 2020 compared to 2019. And according to IBM Security’s X-Force, ransomware was the leading threat in 2020, making up nearly a quarter of all attacks.
What You Can Do
The most critical element in preventing financial or data loss from ransomware is to have a bulletproof backup system. One that can deliver fast, easy and reliable restoration of all of your critical systems — so that you’re not forced to fork over the cash to get your business up and running again.
2. Exploitation of Sysadmin Accounts & Tools
There are two basic types of sysadmin threats: internal and external.
Internal threats refer to intentional misuse by a system administrator. While these are less common, they are by no means unheard of. There have been some high profile cases of system administrators getting away with misuse of account credentials for years before being caught — sometimes costing their companies hundreds of thousands of dollars.
External threats refer to attempts by outside actors to either: 1) steal sysadmin account credentials and gain access to sensitive data and/or system control, or 2) exploit commonly used sysadmin tools to execute or plan a security breach.
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What You Can Do
To protect your sysadmin accounts against external threats, use multi-factor authentication and maintain strong password management practices. Never allow system administrators to use easy-to-guess passwords or to reuse passwords in multiple places.
Additionally, make sure your physical systems (e.g. in-house servers) are stored in a place with restricted access to prevent in-person security breaches.
3. Remote Working
Remote work is the new normal for organizations across industries. According to a report, 64% of employees are now able to work from home, and 40% are actively doing so.
More remote workers means more data routinely being sent across network boundaries — and data security outside of your business’ home network is much more challenging to secure.
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Additionally, VPNs, RDPs and all other network access tools create another point (or multiple points) of potential vulnerability, increasing the “surface area” where attacks can occur.
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What You Can Do
Fundamental, company-wide security best practices are even more important when a portion of your workforce is remote. These include:
? Strong passwords
? Periodic password changes for all users
? Multi-factor authentication
? Ensuring proper access based on role/responsibility
? Requiring remote workers to keep computers & mobile devices updated
? Ongoing education & reminders about threats and potentially dangerous behaviors.
4. Social Engineering
Social engineering attacks are the most challenging to prevent, because they exploit user behavior to gain access.
Even the most secure IT system can be breached if an employee makes a momentary bad decision in clicking on a suspicious link, entering credentials into a phony website, or downloading a document loaded with malware.
Social engineering attacks take many forms, including phishing, smishing (sms/text-based phishing scams), pdf scams and even in-person attacks like USB baiting in which an attacker leaves a malware-laden usb drive out in plain view in the hopes that someone will connect it to a computer in order to identify the owner.
Get a free demo today to see how Quorum can protect you. [email protected] OR Click To Book?a time slot as per your availability for a meeting to know more about the solution.
What You Can Do
Social engineering attacks are particularly frustrating for IT departments because no automated security measure can prevent them. They’re entirely up to user vigilance.
Therefore, an aggressive, continuous training and communication program is the top priority.
Social engineering attacks occasionally involve unauthorized personnel gaining physical access to your offices and/or server locations. Combat this by creating and enforcing clear policies and procedures for managing and authenticating physical access to your site.
Get a free demo today to see how Quorum can protect you. [email protected] OR Click To Book?a time slot as per your availability for a meeting to know more about the solution.