With the increasing growth of online businesses, cybercrimes are expected to surge in the next five years. A recent study by cybersecurity experts shows that over 800,000 people experience ransomware attacks, data security breaches, and phishing attacks yearly. Further looking into this, it is estimated that approximately 30,000 websites are hacked every day. With these statistics, any business person with an online presence must endeavour to protect themselves from cybercrimes. Here are some of the most common cybercrimes and how to protect yourself.
7 Most Common Cyber Crimes Today
1. Phishing
Phishing is a common attack where cybercriminals send fraudulent emails in an attempt to gather sensitive and personal information. Most of the time, the attackers send links within the email. Clicking these links exposes you to massive harm and could lead to the loss of crucial information.
2. Ransomware (Malware)
Often abbreviated as malware, malicious software is any program or code intending to disrupt a server, network, or computer. It could be spyware, adware, or even file-less malware. By sending the ransomware to your computer, an attacker leverages your software maliciously and may exploit you to eliminate it.
3. Intellectual Property Theft
When these attacks began, they went by the name piracy. For starters, the internet is full of books, movies, and music illegally obtained. While it may not exactly be damaging, piracy is not victimless. It makes artists lose out on their hard-earned money. Even worse, these illegal downloads may contain hidden malware that can damage your devices.
4. Account Hacking
Everyone knows how important it is to protect their accounts. This starts with your passwords and login details. If someone gains access to them, they may manipulate it and cause you reputational and financial losses.
5. Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attacks
DoS attacks are malicious attempts at flooding a network with false requests. These requests then disrupt business operations which may stall genuine customer requests and appointments. Even though most of these attacks do not result in loss of data and are typically resolved without paying a ransom, they cost your business time and resources trying to restore normalcy in the business operations.
6. Spoofing
Spoofing is a rapidly rising cyberattack technique where criminals disguise themselves as trusted sources. The attacker engages the target with the intent of accessing their systems and devices to steal information, install malware, or even extort money. Some of the most common ones are domain spoofing, email spoofing and ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) spoofing.
7. Social Engineering Attacks
In a world where everything is all about emotions, social engineering attacks seem to thrive. This is when the attackers use psychological tactics to manipulate you into taking a particular action. It could be money, status, or even love. Attackers gain sensitive information from you through these motivators and later use it for malicious intentions.
How to Protect Your Data from Cybercriminals
As you can see from all the above types of cybercrimes, the target is your data. So, how can you protect your data and improve your cybersecurity? Here are a few proven ways.
1. Update All Your Software and Operating Systems (OS)
Whether you run a small or big establishment, your business uses various software. With the fast-paced digital advancements, these software companies continuously release newer versions. Ensure you keep them all updated and seal loopholes that cybercriminals may use.
2. Use a Reputable Anti-Virus Software
Every device at your workplace must have an anti-virus to protect the system from attacks. Quality solutions such as the Norton 360 Antivirus offer powerful protection for your devices and personal information. With the package, you get real-time protection, password management and a smart firewall for PC and Macs. Even better, you get PC Cloud backup to protect against data loss in case of ransomware and hard drive failures.
3. Train Your Employees
Most importantly, train your employees on the most common cyberattacks your company is most susceptible to and how to deal with them. They should never open attachments in spam emails or click on links on untrusted websites. Besides regular training, ensure all endpoint devices are secured, even for remote employees.
Conclusion
Besides still being there, cybercrimes are on a steady rise. As more people establish a presence on digital platforms, so do the cybercriminals get better. For this reason, you must employ the right tactics to counter cyber-attacks and data breaches. Start by constantly updating all your software and systems. You must also use a reputable anti-virus solution like Norton to fight malware and other online threats. Lastly, do not forget to train your employees and protect all endpoint devices.
Sources: 1. https://uk.norton.com/products/norton-360-antivirus-plus# 2. https://www.statista.com/outlook/tmo/cybersecurity/worldwide 3. https://us.norton.com/antivirus
