Did you realize that every 39 seconds there is a different data hack being perpetrated against an American business? Studies also show that 95 percent of the records breached by hackers come from three main industries: retail, technology and government. If you are a small business owner, these statistics should motivate you to ensure the cyber-security solutions you have in place are effective. Read below to find out more about some of the most common network security threats affecting small businesses in this country.
1. Protecting Your Network From Malware
According to an article by Business Insider, there were over 2,500 new cases of malware and ransomware attacks in this country last year. These attacks were estimated to cost victims over $24 million. Malware, which is short for malicious software, comes in a variety of forms. The main goal of these malicious programs is to gain access to all of the sensitive information on a computer network.
2. Computer Viruses
Statistics show that 53 percent of the computers in use in this country have experienced a virus at one time or another. A computer virus is basically a small piece of software that is built to spread from one computer to the next. These viruses have been known to corrupt and steal the data on the computers they are placed on. Typically, these viruses will use systems on your network like email to spread to different users.
3. Dealing With Rogue Security Software
Have you ever been confronted with a pop-up window advertising a security alert or update? Generally, these ads will ask the user to click a link to update or install their program. In most cases, these ads will be connected to rogue security software. If you do click the link and download the program, it will usually be a piece of malware. Working with an experienced IT consulting firm is the best way to get the right network safeguards in place to avoid these viruses.
4. Trojan Horse
A Trojan horse is a program that appears to be legitimate but is actually infected with lots of viruses. Once a Trojan horse is on your network, it can be used for everything from logging keystrokes to stealing important and sensitive data. Hackers are constantly updating the methods they use to get these viruses on computer networks, which is why having an IT consulting professional offering you guidance is important.
5. Malicious Spyware
The purpose of malicious spyware is to infect a computer and then spy on the individuals using it. These programs will usually feature keystroke loggers that can be used to figure out passwords and other sensitive information.
6. Computer Worms Can Cause Big Problems
A computer worm is a piece of software that can easily copy itself from computer to computer without human interaction. These worms can replicate quickly, which means they can be put on all of the computers in your business network in a matter of hours. Having the right antivirus software on your network is essential when trying to detect these programs and get rid of them in a hurry.
7. The Dangers of Botnet
A botnet is a large group of computers that have been compromised by a hacker via a Trojan horse virus. This group of “zombie” computers will generally be used to carry out a variety of nefarious online tasks. Generally, these tasks will include sending out spam emails to each of the contacts a computer has listed.
8. Rootkits
Rootkits are a collection of tools that are designed to gain administrator-level access to a computer network. These rootkits are placed on a network via a security hole the hacker finds. The holes a hacker finds are usually located in legitimate applications on a business computer network. Sealing up these holes to prevent further attacks will require the help of IT professionals.
If you are in need of IT consulting services for your small to medium-sized business, give the team at Monster Technology a call.