Top 5 Cybersecurity Definitions Your Business Needs to Know

 Just hearing the phrase “cybersecurity attack” sounds serious and leaves many business owners worrying about how to protect their cybersecurity. Start by protecting against the top 5 threats to give you the greatest return on investment in cybersecurity. What makes these threats scary is the fact that many businesses aren’t even sure what these threats are and how to watch out for them.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, 88% of small business owners felt their business was vulnerable to a cyber attack. The first step in protecting your business from any type of threat is learning about what they are.

Learn these top 5 cybersecurity definitions that your business needs to know. Let’s walk through each of these cybersecurity threats and offer a plan of action.

Top 5 Cybersecurity Threats

Take the first step in protecting your business and meet the top 5 cybersecurity threats your organization may face.

1) Email Phishing Attacks

2) Ransomware Attacks

3) Loss or Theft of Equipment or Data

4) Insider, Accidental or Intentional Data Loss

5) Attacks Against Connected Devices

1) Email Phishing Attacks 

Similar to the sport of fishing in a lake, imagine someone fishing in emails trying to catch their prey. Phishing is an attempt to trick someone into giving out information by masquerading as a legitimate source, such as a friend, coworker, or well-known retailer via email or another communication channel.

2) Ransomware Attacks

This is just like if someone were to kidnap you and demand ransom for your safe return. Ransomware is a type of malicious software that encrypts the data on your computer that is accessible from the infected system. The encrypted data cannot be accessed or decrypted until a ransom is paid to the hacker (usually in a cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin) in order to

receive a decryption key.

3) Loss or Theft of Equipment or Data

Unfortunately, everyday office supplies are lost or stolen. When this loss or theft extends to data or mobile devices such as laptops, smartphones, or USB drives, a data breach can occur. The value of the devices represents one loss; far greater are the consequences of losing sensitive data. From January 1, 2018, to August 31, 2018, the Office for Civil Rights received reports of theft affecting over 2 million individuals.

4) Insider, Accidental or Intentional Data Loss

Insider threats are employees, contractors, or other users with access to the organization’s infrastructure, network, or data. The two types of insider threats are; accidental and intentional. An accidental insider threat is an unintentional loss caused by honest mistakes, procedural errors, or negligence.

An intentional insider threat is a malicious loss or theft with an objective of personal gain or inflicting harm.

5) Attacks Against Connected Devices

Does your business offer Wi-Fi? Imagine if every device connected to that Wi-Fi was compromised. And we don’t just mean computers, but mobile devices, printers, and more. The Internet of Things (IoT) is bringing a lot of benefits to modern life, but it also brings the huge drawback of security threats. Whether the IoT solutions are part of your company’s strategy or devices brought in and put on your network by your employees, you are at risk.

In its 2018 IoT Predictions, Forrester Research noted, “Security vulnerabilities are a significant worry for firms deploying IoT solutions – in fact, it’s the top concern of organizations looking at deploying IoT solutions.”

Custom Business Cybersecurity Support

Now you’ve learned the top 5 cybersecurity definitions and took the first step in protecting your business. We help businesses just like yours by creating a custom cybersecurity strategy with a proactive approach. Start the conversation and learn how we can help your business thrive by contacting us or sending us an email.