Top Cybersecurity Threats Of 2018: Protect Yourself And Your Business

Technology is arguably man’s best friend. Dogs are great, but can they help you communicate with others around the world, work remotely, track meaningful information, and everything else under the sun? The answer’s a staunch no.

However, as technological devices become more advanced and widely used, cybersecurity threats become more prevalent, not to mention more costly.

As of December of 2017, Yahoo’s 2016 hack rings true as the largest data breach of all time, compromising some 3 billion accounts’ worth of information.

Although there were only a reported 1,093 data breaches in 2016 within the United States – of which much more go unreported thanks to the potential loss of business associated with data breaches – 36.6 million records were exposed as a direct result of them.

The incidence of data breaches in the United States has increased steadily over the years, from 157 in 2005, to 498 in 2009, up to 783 in 2014, and a whopping 1,093 data breaches in 2016. Keep in mind that’s only within the United States of America.

In 2018 don’t risk the potentially entity-ending possibility of your business being the target of a cybersecurity attack. Improve your focus and protect against the following cybersecurity threats – your business could very well be next.

“In 2018, digital extortion will be at the core of most cybercriminals’ business model and will propel them into other schemes that will get their hands on potentially hefty payouts.” according to Trend Micro.

Distributed Denial Of Services Attacks Spell Trouble

Put simply, a successful DDoS attack makes one or more online services not available for use, made possible by swamping it with Internet traffic.

DDoS attacks rely on infecting computers around the world with malicious software, the network of which are known as botnets. By requesting to visit the same site, the web page being targeted effectively becomes unusable by people around the globe.

While DDoS attacks of yesteryear were of little to no threat to businesses, hackers have stronger tools than ever.

Prudent business owners should seek DDoS protection services from third-party providers. Also important is utilizing the deep inspection of packets, allowing your business to detect application attacks.

Supply Chains Are Inherently Weak

Supply chain management is a necessary part of succeeding in business. All businesses, even one-store small businesses, rely on other entities to secure inputs necessary to operate. However, supply chains are typically built of several organizations.

The problem lies herein – sharing information is not always secure. Arguably the safest means of storing digital information is using a trusted cloud storage provider. However, the second-safest way to save data is using a portable, physical storage device.

As most businesses require more storage space than what a thumb drive provides, it’s important to prevent cybersecurity threats. Reacting to attacks retroactively provides little benefit, if any, in today’s world of digital crime.

Although Boards Of Directors Are Well-Intentioned, They Don’t Always Provide Ideal Results

Boards of directors are administrative groups of prominent, experienced individuals that don’t operate companies they rule for. However, they often understand the needs of businesses they oversee, resulting in benefits for businesses.

One of the many responsibilities of boards of directors is staying profitable. Although executives ultimately make such decisions, it’s possible a board of directors fails to get “it” right. In this case, “it” is the welfare and potential of a business to succeed, often hinging on digital security.

The soundest way of ensuring boards of directors understand the importance of digital security is through awareness. Executives must do more-than-sufficient jobs of informing boards of directors about the risks of insufficient cybersecurity.

Our Homes Are Set To Profit Tech Giants

Mining data is incredibly profitable for tech companies that choose to do so. Metadata, especially those regarding consumer preferences, as manufacturers and marketers can use them to increase profits.

Enabling automatic encryption is vitally important to keep hackers from mining your personal or business information.

The Internet Of Things Is Especially Prone To Cyber Attacks

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to devices that link to one another and work in harmony. While integrating all of a business’ devices together may seem convenient, doing so is inherently risky.

In supply chains, security risks are prevalent, as increases in information hubs result in riskier data storage.

The same goes for devices connected to the Internet of Things. It’s difficult to guard multiple devices against sharing metadata and otherwise offering security risks.

As such, businesses should strive to disconnect devices from the Internet of Things. Although devices connected to the IoT is convenient, you should always keep security risks at the forefront of your business’s list of priorities.

Digital Baggage Is A Serious Concern

Very few people engage in behaviors they never regret; some do more than others. However, it’s true that all humans make mistakes.

Without the widespread utilization of technology, people of years’ passed could do things without being recorded. Unfortunately, significant amounts of data are mined in today’s world.

Younger computer users obviously have more life to live, on average. Therefore, they have the opportunity of having their personal, potentially-embarrassing information harvested. This also holds true for children of the future, as they will have increased access to technology.

While this isn’t so much a business problem as it is personal, digital baggage can carry with anybody for a lifetime.

You should disable the sharing of information on all devices and accounts on the World Wide Web. It’s also important to use encryption for all messaging needs possible, even if partners aren’t crazy about doing so. Encryption is a powerful tool, and can even be automated on most devices.

Cybercrime is more common than ever before. Further, these attacks also cause further damages than in previous years. Protecting yourself against cyber attacks is of utmost importance in today’s risky world.

Rather than risking a cyber attack, improve your focus on cybersecurity by considering the above threats. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, especially in the business world.