Cyber Security Threats You Need to Know for 2019
The past few years have been filled with cyber security threats — from malware and ransomware to sophisticated phishing attacks against company executives. While some have fallen in prominence such as ransomware, others continue to cause problems for small to mid-size businesses in all industries. Based on trend data since 2016, here are the top threats that you can expect to see in 2019 and beyond.
Botnets
Hackers have been leveraging botnets to carry out massive DDOS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks for over a decade, and this threat shows no indication that it’s disappearing in the future. These large-scale brute force attacks are used to break into the security of a network, grabbing personal and financial information while also slowing down or stopping access to data and systems for the duration of the attack. The sheer power of these attacks means they are able to compromise even the largest and most complex of systems, but they can often be foiled by immediate action and robust security measures.
Cryptojacking
Ever since the invention of bitcoin in 2009, cryptocurrency has been a hot topic in the world of cyber security and finance. This virtual currency can be extremely valuable and is mined through a string of processors all working together. With cryptojacking, your computer or system of computers is infected with a virus that “borrows” the processing power of the computers in order to mine for cryptocurrency. Now considered more lucrative than ransomware, cryptocurrency mining is an ongoing issue that saps the computing strength of your network and directly costs you money in terms of electricity and processing time.
Lack of Staff Training
In good news, the majority of staff members feel that their IT teams are doing an adequate job of protecting their networks. Unfortunately, this means that these same employees feel comfortable engaging in unsafe behavior due to the perception that they’re protected — making poor password choices, sharing logins and clicking on some dicey links they receive via email. The reality is that even a well-protected system can be hacked, and it’s critical that you’re able to quickly find the point of penetration and begin remediation to resolve the issue. Proactive and ongoing training for staff can help them identify instances of risky behavior and prevent it before it happens.
Viruses and Worms
You may be surprised to learn that your antivirus software is actively tackling and disabling a number of viruses and worms in the background, possibly without your knowledge. However, these malicious programs can lay dormant for quite some time before triggering to cause a wealth of havoc. Constructed in such a way that they can infect core systems, make network drives inoperable or destroy data such as Word documents and spreadsheets, viruses and worms are one of the most virulent ongoing problems that are faced by network security professionals. Keeping up with the constant evolution of these threats can be a full-time job, something that can be extremely taxing on overworked IT professionals within your business.
When your business is able to focus on the tasks at hand and leave the security services to the professionals at Coretelligent, you can rest assured that we are continually monitoring your systems for viruses, phishing, malware and other attack vectors. The threats we’ve seen the last few years will only continue to grow and expand, making it mission-critical to protect your sensitive business systems and data. CoreArmor, our premier cyber security solution, protects all of your business networks without the need for additional products from multiple vendors.
