In 2022 every business needs to understand what cybersecurity is and why it’s important, and a massive part of this is staying up to date with the latest threats. The good news is that while the Internet is becoming a more dangerous place, you can keep up with the most current threats, below.
Data management and protection
Currently, users create vast amounts of data, some of which are used to guide a business’s decision-making process, but much of which is left untouched. Unfortunately, having all this data with no clear purpose means chaos abounds when it comes to management and protection. Indeed, it is this chaos that then leaves this data more at risk of cyberattacks.
Of course, the problem goes deeper than only losing the trust of the customers’ shoe dates. It’s also a matter of law, and harsh fines can be imposed on those companies that are found to be lacking in their data protection procedures.
To manage this issue in 2022, robust data protection procedures that meet the relevant ISOs and that are consistently implemented are a must. Additionally, stripping down the data that your business collects and stores to only what is needed will help minimize the problem.
Software configuration mistakes
To stay ahead of the game in 2022 your business will need access to the latest software. The problem is that it must be downloaded and installed by a human, which as we all know is vulnerable to making mistakes.
This is where the problem arises because when a human makes an error in the installation of software it creates a vulnerability that an external attacker can take advantage of. Indeed this is a problem only compounded by the effect of the Pandemic which has left the majority of employees struggling with some aspect of their mental health in the workplace, something that could make them even more vulnerable to making mistakes.
Get ahead of this issue in your business, by making sure that all software undergoes regular maintenance and internal testing for any potential deficiencies.
Ransomware
Ransomware is when hackers break into your system, and then hold it to ransom or destroy it until you pay the amount of money they are asking for. When this happens to businesses it can cause a huge range of problems including data protection issues and downtime, as well as lost revenue with each attack raking up an average of around 21 days.
The bad news is that ransomware attackers are asking for more and more money, which makes them increasingly bad for business. But the really bad news is that access to ransomware has become even easier, with RaaS. Yes, that is right, small-time cyber criminals can now subscribe to ransomware as a service, all for a percentage of their take, something that means it’s accessible to just about anyone and that incidents of its use are only likely to rise.
Ok, now we are done with the bad news we can move on to the good. The good news is there are ways of protecting your business against the horrors of ransomware. The first way of doing this is to make sure that you use anti-malware software, effective monitoring applications are also a must. Regular backing of your files is vital too, as then if the worst does happen you will have access to almost live data. Lastly, make sure that your staff are well trained on cyber security is also vital. Indeed, the more people you have working towards minimizing these kinds of cybersecurity risks, the better.
Social engineering
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In addition to the human error mentioned above, there is the psychological manipulation that is involved in what is known, in cybersecurity, as social engineering. Social engineering describes a group of activities designed to get humans to reveal or grant access to confidential information and includes email impersonation, and phishing.
The issue with social engineering is not with a business’ cyber security systems, but with their human employees, and high-level professionals are just as vulnerable to being taken in by these tactics as anyone else.
The good news is that with adequate training for your employees it is possible to safeguard your business against these ever-evolving attacks. Indeed, with training courses that also offer features like this phishing simulation, it is possible to provide your workers with real-life experience of how to stop a scam and deal with it. Thereby greatly reducing the risks involved.
Smart devices
With so many people working from home as the norm, 2022, has seen a vast rise in smart devices in this arena. Unfortunately, this also means a whole new world of risk, as smart devices are the perfect target for hackers. Indeed, experts suggest that within a week, smart devices may be subject to over 10,000 hacking attempts.
With this increase of potential access points for hackers in mind, limiting smart devices in the home and work may be the best defence we have in 2022.
The cloud
Again, because of the sharp rise in popularity of working from home, businesses have had to be flexible and pivot to cloud computing systems and software so their employees can gain access to everything they need.
However, despite lots of marketing to the contrary, the cloud is not as safe as they would have you believe. Indeed, with new services and software coming online all the time, the number of vulnerabilities in the cloud has only increased.
To deal with this issue, investing in cloud security is the best option. Luckily, this market has been increasing sharply too.
One response to this is that the cloud security market is also sharply increasing mostly to meet business demands. Additionally, some corporate users of cloud tech are begging to operate on a zero-trust approach. This means that whenever they require access to sensitive info or systems, they will be promoted to verify their identity, rather than have it assumed and remembered by the system.
Final thoughts
While there may be many cyber security threats in 2022, there is also much you can do to reduce your company’s risk of falling prey to them.
