Computer attacks are constantly changing and cybercriminals are continuing to come up with more ways to infiltrate infrastructures holding sensitive information. Small-business owners need to keep this in mind as they make sure their companies critical information is able to stay safe from hackers.
With security being a top priority for small-business owners, a recent article for Fox Business spelled out some of the top threats they may face and what they can do to avoid them.
“A few years ago virus attacks were designed to spread around the world as fast as possible to infect as many people as possible,” Tom Powledge, vice president of product delivery, SMB and Cloud for Symantec, told the news source. “Now cybercriminals want to get their viruses into your environment and have it stay there under the radar for as long as possible.”
Ransomware: A growing trend in computer security
Many small-business owners may shake off a malfunctioning computer and restart it, believing that will solve the problem. However, the machine could very well be compromised by a ransomware attack, in which a cybercriminal infects the PC, takes it over and encrypts the program files on the computer so it locks up, said the source. Small-firm owners must instruct their employees to always be on the lookout for such attacks.
“It’s very brazen, very aggressive and something we saw internationally,” Powledge told the news outlet. “It started in Russia and is making its way out to other countries.”
A good way to combat these attacks is to keep all computers backed up. According to Forbes, many small businesses hold much of their important information in their computer systems, so they need to make sure they have backup in case anything becomes compromised. Another necessary precaution is cyberliabilty insurance, which protects a firm from any information that is stolen by a cybercriminal.
Mobile devices will become infected by viruses
Cybercriminals are always adjusting to the times, and now that people are using their smartphones and tablets for business purposes, hackers are beginning to find ways to place viruses on these devices. It’s important to only connect to trusted Wi-Fi connections and ignore questionable pop-up ads.
“Whatever the popular platform, whatever people are using is where the cybercriminals go,” Powledge said to the source.
