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THE TOP 3 TRICKS CYBERCRIMINALS USE TO HACK YOU
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Cybercriminals and hackers are not the shy types. Oddly enough, they are not hiding the methods they use to attack their targets. Moreover, many of them are feeling comfortable bragging about how exactly they broke into a business’s network and how much money or sensitive information did they stole. We will leave it up to them and their karma.
But it’s up to us, the business owners and employees, to stay alert and at least one step ahead of cyberthugs. Here are the three most common tricks cybercriminals are using today in order to get to your money:
RANSOMWARE
This is the most common. It’s a form of malware that sneaks into your network in a number of ways:
Ad Networks
It can be ads, appearing on Facebook or your favorite websites. You click on it, and file download starts. It happens so quickly that you can even miss it. At that stage anti-malware and anti-ransomware installed on your machines might come handy.
Malicious Links
Hackers will send you an e-mail, looking like the ones you get from your bank or a favorite online store. Sometimes it can even look like a legitimate e-mail from a colleague or a friend. There will be a link or file attached. You click the link or file, ransomware installation starts.
Hidden Files on Thumb Drives
It happens when someone brings a USB-drive from home. As soon as the thumb drive is inserted into a networked machine, the malicious file will be installed.
No matter how the ransomware gets onto your devices, the result is the same. It starts encrypting your files. Or may completely block your access to the computer. Instead, you’ll see a full-screen message. Something like: pay or you’ll never see your files again.
DDOS EXTORTION
DDoS (distributed denial of service) attack is a relatively easy way to harm your company online presence and damage your network. It’s basically mimicking a bunch of online users that “flood” your network with access requests. Imagine millions of people trying to access your website at once.
Your network simply is not capable of that kind of traffic and, as a result, it is down. If your business is heavily dependent on Internet traffic, the effect can be devastating. This is when some businesses end up paying.
DIRECT ATTACK
While many cybercriminals use bots or custom malware solutions to do the dirty work, some actors like to do things the old fashion way – by direct attack. In case they succeed in breaking in through your defense, they will aim for specific files on your network. Most often it’s critical business information or customer data.
After they obtain your valuable data, they might contact you and ask for money in return for sensitive data. Sometimes you won’t hear anything because they will sell it on the black market. Both ways, you’re in a poor position.
IN A NUTSHELL
The risks are real and serious, but there are things you can do about it. Prevention strategy is the answer. To put it simply, it boils down into two main processes:
- Staying alerted on cybercrime threats and monitoring latest cases.
- Staying up-to-date and protected with the latest defense technology built to combat cyber-attacks.
If you implement these two processes while working with an experienced IT service company (like REW Technology), you can change the outcome and put the cyberthugs in their place.
