Risk Services of Arkansas - January 2019

The 3 Biggest Cybersecurity Threats to Your Business

Phishing If employee negligence is the main security gap in your organization, phishing is the tactic by which criminals most commonly exploit it. By sending emails masquerading as a trusted entity — an IT expert within your company or a service professional working on one of your accounts — hackers can convince users to click through links that install ransomware or other malicious software into your system. Phishing emails can be extremely convincing even to the savvy, but learning to recognize them is an essential piece of any security strategy. Hacking Of course, many cybercriminals still swear by tried-and-true, brute- force tactics, searching for vulnerabilities in your network by which they can punch through. Oftentimes, this will be some opening left by a software update you forgot to download, a patch you installed just a few days too late. All hackers need is a single entry point that lacks the robust security needed to keep them at bay, and they’re in. With this in mind, it’s essential to protect the entirety of your “attack surface” with the most up-to-date, powerful protection you can afford. Sudoku

Today, businesses large and small are being targeted and breached by cybercriminals at an unprecedented rate. A new, high-profile breach hits the news week after week, while nearly half of all small businesses suffer an attack in one form or another. Despite this, most business owners are potentially uninformed and under-prepared for a digital strike. Don’t be one of them. Start by reading up on these three common sources of data breaches, and safeguard your company against disaster. Human Error The wolves at your door may be scary, but ultimately, the No. 1 threat to your livelihood is your own employees. According to a 2017 study by Ponemon and Keeper Security, 54 percent of IT professionals say that careless workers are the prime source of cybersecurity incidents. Bad passwords, irresponsible clicks, or company laptops boosted from your local Starbucks can quickly invite a crisis into your business. That’s why you need comprehensive security protocols and training for everyone dealing with precious data.

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