Protect Your Business From These 4 Cybersecurity Threats
Cyberattacks threaten businesses daily by using several techniques to fool you and your employees into giving up valuable data. While these attacks are common, it is possible to protect your IT assets and ensure that your system is secure. Engaging a trusted IT services company with cybersecurity expertise will help defend your business from attacks. If necessary, they can also help repair any damage done to your company’s data infrastructure.
Phishing
Phony email attacks that try to fool you into giving away sensitive data (like passwords) or click a link to a dangerous website fall into the phishing scam category. Phishing uses realistic-looking emails from a company you know or trust and includes links to harmful websites. Clicking on a link may redirect you to a website to collect data, or it may insert a bad file onto your computer to locate sensitive data and remove it through a backdoor. Many data breaches happen over time and the website owners are not even aware they are happening.
Email Scams
Email scams -- including phishing emails -- often follow familiar patterns, and there are several clues to look for to identify these phony emails. Cybercriminals like to use large batches of emails and automation. These emails are often plain, one-to-one emails and usually have standard greetings with misspellings. Look at the entire email. The beginning may be legitimate, but the end of the email is where the damage is done. Cybercriminals often use multiple links. Hover over each one, and if the link doesn’t match the sender, delete it or send it to spam. Secure websites are safe and can be trusted. Google treats unsecured sites as suspicious. You should too. You should also look out for short, deliberate terms demanding that you act now. “Act Now! Pay Now! Click Here!” are examples of links that may be malicious.
Malicious Websites
Cyber scammers like to mimic popular websites and include forms to collect sensitive data from you. They are often financial sites (banks, credit cards, etc.) or tech support sites. Again, look for the obvious signs of fraud, including unsecured website addresses, bad web links, and online payment scams. Phony emails will often send you to these dangerous websites.
Ransomware
Cybercriminals are looking for money. If they can’t steal it, they will kidnap your IT system and hold it for ransom. That’s why they call it ransomware. A bogus email injects a virus (aka malware) into your computer. The nasty little bug then locks down your system and demands payment to restore your computer or network. The best protection is to back up your data and applications on a daily or ongoing basis and restore your system. But you must be careful. Often, the malware hides and is difficult to remove. Your best option is to work with an IT Services company to protect and remediate any damage done by a ransomware attack.
Partner With a Dependable IT Services Provider
Businesses in Western New York can depend on Buffalo Computer Help to manage their IT and cybersecurity needs. We provide expert service at affordable prices. Visit our website or call us at (716) 206-3200 to connect with our friendly experts today.