Technology can make everyone's life easier, but it can also create entirely new classes of problems that didn't exist 30 or even 20 years ago. Cybersecurity has rapidly moved from a niche field for large, online-focused businesses to a critical issue that companies of all sizes face. Even businesses with only a handful of employees (or none at all) can benefit from strengthening their cyber defenses.
Although threats can come in many forms and from many sources, it's helpful to understand the most common ones you may face. This article will outline three cybersecurity threats that can impact companies of every size in every industry.
1. Social Engineering
Social engineering is often poorly understood by individuals outside of the IT field. Movies portray hacking as a purely technical endeavor that pits an attacker against an organization's computer defenses, but this isn't always the case. Social engineering is one of the most common — and potentially dangerous — threats faced by any business.
In a social engineering attack, an opposing party uses deception to gain direct access to computing resources. For example, an attacker may provide false credentials to an employee to request sensitive customer information. Social engineering attacks come in an endless variety of forms, and they can threaten even well-prepared businesses.
2. Service Vulnerabilities
If you're like most businesses, you probably use various off-site (or "cloud") services. These apps can provide numerous benefits, but they're also a potential source of security vulnerabilities. Although most cloud providers take great care with their data, your employees must have the training and knowledge to use these services correctly and avoid exposing sensitive information.
These types of vulnerabilities are a more specific form of the issues that can arise from inadequate training or computer illiteracy among employees. Workers must understand how to use their computing tools correctly to avoid unintentionally creating pathways for malicious parties. Since cloud services necessarily require network access, they can be especially susceptible to these issues.
3. Weak IT Security Policies
Weak IT policies can come in many forms. For example, inadequate password requirements are a common way for hackers to gain access to essential systems. Insufficient training that leads employees to download unfamiliar programs is another potential vulnerability. Small companies without dedicated IT departments can be particularly prone to making these missteps and harming their own security.
Since cybersecurity threats are so varied, working with a cybersecurity consultant is often the best way to assess and resolve your company's current vulnerabilities. Many security issues may seem severe, but minor changes to company policies or training can shore up your defenses and ensure that your business is well-defended against malicious cyber attackers.
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