If there was a specific form of cyberattack that was responsible for a quarter of all data breaches, how seriously would you take it? Hopefully, pretty seriously, as this form of cyberattack exists. Phishing attacks, the infamous means of hacking an end user, remains a considerable threat to this day. Reflecting on this, it seems prudent to review what phishing is and, crucially, how to avoid it.
Do you remember the good old days when you could go down to the store and purchase antivirus software that you installed off of a CD-ROM? It used to be the case that this would be enough, but if you think that’s going to cut it these days, think again. Businesses have so much more to worry about in the realm of cybersecurity.
Most of us all work on laptops or desktops everyday. It’s pretty easy to assume that cybersecurity generally stops there. You’ve got your secure passwords, your antivirus, and that little icon on the bottom right telling you that you are secure—you should be good to go then, right? Unfortunately, it’s more complex than that.
How do you know what will happen if you become the target of a hacking attack? How will you respond, and how will your network hold up to the assault? These are questions that you need answers to, and perhaps the best way to get them is through what is called a penetration test, or pen test. What are these tests, and what can you expect from them?
One of the most critical parts of security used to be the password, and while it has fallen out of favor in recent years due to how easily they can be cracked, a good password can still go a long way toward keeping your accounts safe. Let’s go over some of the best practices associated with passwords and how you can use them to your advantage.
Cybersecurity has to be a priority for every business and one of the best ways that you can gain the perspective you need to make the right decisions is to look at the statistics. Today, there is more known about how hackers and scammers try to get around cybersecurity efforts than ever before and it can help you develop a strategy to combat cybercrime.
Shadow IT—while it sounds like the title of some B-movie suspense thriller or airport gift shop novel, it’s a very serious business issue that can easily make its way into your operations. Let’s review what shadow IT is, and what can be done to minimize the threats that it causes your business.
With cybercrime more prevalent than ever, the importance of keeping your business protected cannot be overstated. In fact, it is so important that there’s a C-suite level role dedicated to it: the Chief Information Security Officer—the CISO. While such a position is fairly common amongst enterprise organizations, smaller businesses might not be able to implement this role in their own hierarchy… at least, not without assistance.
We know that cybersecurity isn’t the most interesting topic in the world, especially for a small business owner, this doesn’t diminish its importance. If you fail to adequately protect your business, even a low-profile SMB can fall victim to a cyber threat. It’s your job as the business owner and thought leader to make sure this doesn’t happen.
It’s good to go about your business with an abundance of caution, but sometimes this abundance of caution can lead people to see threats where they simply do not exist. In cybersecurity, this is actually quite easy to see happening, as cybersecurity is such a multi-faceted topic. But how much do these false-positive security reports wind up costing organizations?