The top 5 cybersecurity threats

After ‘Insights into New Supply Chain and Cloud-Identity Attacks’ – presented by CrowdStrike experts at RSA Conference , we wanted to explore some of the prevalent cybersecurity threats of today.

There will be 29.4 billion connected devices in the world by 2030. The sheer number of devices that need to be secured may seem staggering – but it’s even more pronounced when you consider the number will have risen 350% (from 8.6 billion) since 2019.

As the world’s appetite for connected devices and technology accelerates, the importance of cybersecurity doesn’t just become important for businesses, it can be the difference between success and failure. ?

A cybersecurity breach can lead to significant financial loss, reputational damage, and even personal harm. We've outlined 5 of the most prevalent cybersecurity threats today and how you can protect yourself against them.

Ransomware

Ransomware is malicious software that locks your computer or data and demands payment in exchange for its release.

Ransomware can lead to significant financial losses and disruption of business operations.

To protect against ransomware, regularly back up data and implement strong security measures, such as firewalls and anti-virus software.

Internet of Things (IoT) attacks

With the proliferation of smart devices and IoT, there is an increasing risk of cyberattacks that target these devices. IoT attacks can take many forms, including Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks or hijacking devices.

DDoS attacks involve overwhelming devices and servers with more traffic than they can handle, crashing them. The average duration in 2022 was an 8-hour attack. Imagine the lost revenue if Amazon went down for 8 hours. DDoS attacks can be launched from multiple sources, making them difficult to trace and mitigate.

Social engineering attacks

Examples include phishing. Social engineering refers to the tactics employed, deceiving users with emails or messages to trick them into giving up sensitive information, such as login credentials, credit card details, or personal information.

Social engineering attacks can be very convincing and more sophisticated ones mimic legitimate websites or emails. As AI chatbots become more popular, they’ve already been put to work by attackers to be even more convincing.

To protect against these tactics, always verify the sender and be wary of any requests for sensitive information.

Advanced persistent threats

Advanced persistent threats (APTs) are highly sophisticated cyber-attacks designed to remain undetected for long periods of time. APTs often involve stealing sensitive data or intellectual property and can be carried out by state-sponsored actors or highly skilled criminals.

Protecting against APTs is a more vigilant approach. It's important to implement strong security measures, such as encryption, and regularly monitoring systems for suspicious activity.

Cloud security risks

With the increasing adoption of cloud-based services, businesses are increasingly exposed to cloud security risks like data breaches and denial-of-service attacks. These risks are exacerbated by using weak passwords, bad access controls or misconfigured cloud services.

Businesses must take steps to ensure that their cloud-based services are secure, and that they’ve got appropriate security measures in place to protect their data.

It’s important to remember this isn’t an exhaustive list. These are a selection of the top threats that your business may face and a very general idea of the first steps to take to protect your business. ???

Protect your business with our next-generation security solutions. Click now to learn more about how Westcon-Comstor can help you stay ahead of emerging threats.