Aren’t we all finding new methods to curb cyberattacks?
Did you know that attackers or hackers are also finding new ways to attack your organization?
As you improve your team’s structure, offer them advanced tools, and valuable training to improve the cybersecurity of the organization, hackers are also training to be better at what they do.
From stealing personal information of the users to blackmailing the organization to pay a ransom to retrieve data, every new method is being modified and becoming more intense and advanced.
In a situation like this, it is highly unlikely for any organization to ignore cybersecurity. So, what do we do?
We try to make things better, patch security loopholes, and create a structure for preventive measures. However, in an attempt to do so, sometimes, common cybersecurity risks are left behind. Hence, to help you analyze these common risks and reduce the possibility of them happening, we have created a list of 5 cybersecurity risks.
Analyze these risks and understand why you need to mitigate these issues.
1. Security Patches
One of the most important aspects of the IT security team is to take care of the patches. The security structure should be monitored on a regular basis to find out these loopholes. Once discovered, the team should work to proactively test how it can impact the organization’s security.
Knowing the full extent of the loophole only helps in understanding the requirements of the patch structure.
The task is not completed yet, the team has to evaluate the patch after completion to ensure its effectiveness.
For example, Petya and WannaCry both targeted Microsoft missing patches – Microsoft MS17-010. If you fail to remedy this, you can fail to secure your systems.
2. Phishing
Phishing is one of the oldest and one of the most common cyber attacks even today. There is a general procedure in this type of attack.
The user receives a mail, when they open it, there’s a link. Upon clicking the link, the malware is downloaded to the system and/or information is stolen.
The only way to avoid this attack is to train the user. This is the best way around the situation. You need to sit with your employees and make them understand which attacks can be phishing mails.
Another lessor known method is to avoid running your systems with admin rights. All your employees don’t even require that. This can reduce the severity of the attack.
Lastly, you can use AI capabilities to filter these attacks. Something, that only big organizations can execute fully.
3. Internal Users
Users are the weakest link. In every organization, your employees are the weakest link and there’s no denying that. Hence, hackers target your employees.
How can you resolve the issue?
By creating awareness regarding the security issues in the employees. Your employees should understand that if they see something wrong or encounter anything on the mail which doesn’t seem right, they should say something about it.
Every employee of the organization should feel responsible for the cybersecurity of the organization.
4. Data Security
If employees are the weakest link, then data is the crucial link. Everybody is attacking your data now.
Think of a financial institution. There, data is everything. If they lose data or compromise it, they lose customers, isn’t it?
Hence, focus on data security and ensure that you keep your online data safe. There is no scope for errors here. You compromise data, you compromise your reputation.
5. Shadow IT
Traditionally, the IT department knew everything. If the employees were engaging in unauthorized activity, they were immediately stopped. However, today, that is not entirely possible – because of shadow IT.
Unauthorized applications can now run on the system without the knowledge of the IT department.
Why this an issue?
Because when you don’t know if an application is using data and from where the data is generating, you can’t track it.
So, the IT department is stuck here.
To remedy the situation, one of the best methods is to educate your employees. Help them understand why these applications are unauthorized and allow them to avoid the usage of shadow IT.
Since you can’t completely avoid shadow IT, utilize encryption, single sign-on, anti-exploit prevention, etc.
Conclusion
The best method to keep hackers at bay is to keep devising new methods to protect your system. Somethings like employee awareness is a regular trick which should be executed to improve the overall security structure of the organization.