CyberSecurity

Unfortunately, Cyber-attacks are a growing threat for small businesses in the U.S. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Report, the cost of cybercrimes reached $2.7 billion in 2018 alone.

Small businesses have become specifically targeted because they have information that cybercriminals want, and they usually lack the security infrastructure that large businesses have.

According to a recent SBA (Small Business Administration) survey, 88% of small business owners felt their business was at risk to a cyber-attack.

Lowering the Risk

The first step in improving cyber security is understanding the risk of an attack, and where you can make the biggest improvements.

One of the easiest ways to ensure that you have a strong defense against hackers is to make sure that you have a disaster recovery scheme and that starts with a good back up strategy. We can assist you with our expertise and our CloudBank Service.

Once we identify where your business is vulnerable, we can provide a plan of action and how to ensure all bases are covered. There is no substitute for dedicated support. We are here to help you every step of the way to transforming your business to be resilient against any and all cyber attacks. 

Common Cyber Attack threats

The weakest link is the human component; people click on links or open attachments that are fraudulent and open the door to malware. Education of personnel is the best first step - remind your people that they should never Open an eMail from someone they don't know, hover over ANY links to see the real destination, and think twice before downloading anything onto your computer. Fraudulent eMails CAN look real - be suspicious of misspellings or of emails that "don't look right" or seem questionable.  Here are some helpful tips for to stay safe:

• Keep your computer and software up to date

• Use a non-administrator account 

• Think twice before clicking links or downloading anything

• Be care about opening email attachments or images

• Don't trust pop-up windows that ask you to download software

Cyber-attacks are constantly evolving but being aware of a few of the most common threats helps you and your business to be prepared for when they do occur.

Malware

Malware (malicious software) that is specifically designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to a computer system.

Reasons behind the use of Malware:

• Tricking a victim into providing personal data for identity theft

• Stealing financial data

• Assuming control of multiple computers to launch denial-of-service attacks against other networks

Common signs that your computer has been affected by malware are:

• Unusual slow computer performance

• Web browser directs you to sites you did not try to visit 

• Infection warnings frequently with solicitations to buy a product that will fix the infection

• Problems shutting down, starting or restarting up the computer

The more of these common symptoms you see, the higher the likelihood your computer has a malware infection. 

Viruses

Viruses are programs that are harmful and intend to spread from computer to computer as well as other connected devices. Viruses have the potential to give cybercriminals access to your system. A virus operates by attaching itself to a legitimate program. Once the legitimate program is run, the virus is run as well. This means that a virus can remain inactive on your computer, without showing any signs or symptoms. Once the virus infects your computer, it usually can infect other computers on the same network. Viruses can steal passwords or data, log keystrokes, corrupt files, and possibly take over your computer.

Ransomware

Ransomware is a malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid. This type of attack can be delivered through phishing emails and exploits in software. 

Typically, Ransomware uses a pair of keys to encrypt and decrypt a file. The pair of keys are generated by the attacker for the victim. The attacker makes the private key available to the victim only after the ransom is paid, however, the attacker can simply not give you the key once you’ve paid. Without access to the private key, it is nearly impossible to decrypt the files that are being held for ransom.

Phishing

Phishing is a type of cyber-attack that uses email or a malicious website to infect your machine with malware or retrieve sensitive information. Phishing emails are design to be tricky. They appear as though they have been sent from a legitimate organization or known individual.  Cyber attackers attempt to use social engineering in effort to manipulate victims into clicking on a malicious link or attachment or reveal confidential information.

Phishing Risks for your business include but are not limited to:

• Potenial loss of Corporate Funds

• Accidentally exposing personal or work information of your customers, employees and your self

• Company or personal files becoming permanetly or temporalily locked