There are\nmany types of cyber attack, some more serious and damaging than others. Whether\nit’s phishing, malware, denial-of-service attacks or ransomware, all can target\nvulnerable systems and pose a considerable threat to your business. This\narticle answers the question of what is a cyber attack, describes the common\nforms of attack that you might experience and offers advice on how you can\nprotect against them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A cyber\nattack is a deliberate, malicious attempt to gain access to an information\nsystem belonging to another organisation or individual. There are multiple\nreasons for a cyber attack: the perpetrator usually wants to benefit from the\ndisruption through theft of money or data, or compromising a company’s network.\nSuch attacks can lead, in turn, to crimes such as identity theft and fraud.\nSome cyber attacks are targeted at specific organisations; others cast a wide\nnet with the aim of disrupting as many networks, services and people as they\ncan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most\ncommon external security threats to businesses are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Malicious software such as viruses, worms, ransomware and spyware that targets vulnerabilities in a network. It usually gains access through a user clicking a risky link or opening an attachment in an email. Once installed, it can infect the system with harmful programs, steal sensitive data or take down the whole network. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sending of fraudulent communications, usually email, that appear to originate from a trusted source. The intention is to compromise the victim’s device with malware, or to gain personal data such as passwords or financial details. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Excessive network traffic that floods a system with the aim of tying up bandwidth and resources to ensure that the system cannot operate as normal. An extension of this is the distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, where the attack is launched by multiple compromised devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not all\nthreats are external, however. Beware of security issues caused by human error,\nsuch as accidentally distributing sensitive data outside the organisation, or\nemployees being careless about security policies. There is also a risk from\ndissatisfied employees or ex-employees wishing to harm your company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most\nimportant thing is to have an effective web, email, and data security solution\nin place. This will protect both your organisation and your employees from\naccidental or malicious breaches that could cause damage to your systems. A\nvital component of this is up-to-date virus protection: cyber attacks evolve\nconstantly and keeping pace with antivirus updates is a simple way to guard\nagainst them. Also, make sure you monitor the software on your network:\nunpatched and out-of-date programs can contain vulnerabilities for attackers to\nexploit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally,\nhave a solid security incident response plan in place. If an attack is\nsuccessful, this will serve to reduce its impact and enable you to fix the\nissue and get back to normal service as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All\norganisations, regardless as to size or type, are potentially vulnerable to\ncyber attack because every company has assets that might be worth exploiting.\nIn order to minimise any financial, reputational or legal impact on your\nbusiness, constant awareness of possible attacks and robust measures to protect\nagainst them are crucial best practices to follow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"