Is the internet really safe?
Today, many people take safe access to the internet for granted. When people are looking for products and services, they often turn to the internet first for help. As a result, all companies need to make sure that they are maximizing their ability to use the internet in a positive way.
In reality, there are numerous threats out there that organizations need to protect themselves against. What are a few of the top cybersecurity threats against which companies should defend?
Phishing Scams
One of the top threats out there today is called a phishingc scam. For those who might not know what, a phishing scam takes place when an attacker seeks to pose as someone else and trick someone into surrendering his or her login credentials. In order to prevent phishing scams from taking advantage of a company, nobody should ever open an email from someone they do not know.
Furthermore, individuals need to know which links are safe and which are not. In order to discover where a link is headed, hover over it and reveal where the destination is. Finally, malicious links can also come from individuals who might be known to the company but who have been infected. Therefore, everyone needs to remain vigilant.
Rogue Access Point
Another major threat today involves a rogue access point or a rogue client. Essentially, a rogue access point is an access point that has been installed on the wireless network without being authorized by a network administrator. In some cases, this access point might be added by someone who was trying to help.
In other cases, this could be installed by a malicious attacker. Therefore, in addition to leveraging tools such as SSL certificates, it is important for everyone to keep their eyes open for rogue access points because these could be major threats to the company’s network.
Ransomeware
Finally, ransomware is a significant cybersecurity threat as well. In a ransomware attack, an attacker installs something on the network that totally locks it up and encrypts all files, rendering them unusable. Then, in order to release the files, the attacker will demand a large ransom be paid. Ransomware can be almost impossible to remove. Therefore, the best way to deal with these attacks is to prevent them from happening in the first place.
These are just a few of the most prominent examples of cybersecurity threats. Just as technology has come a long way, hackers are trying to keep up as well.
Therefore, everyone needs to pay attention to software updates that are released, leverage proper password hygiene, and control their network access appropriately. These simple steps can go a long way toward preventing unauthorized access to the network.
