IT Service and Cybersecurity Experts – Leverage IT Group, LLC.

Are You Prepared For the Latest Security Threats/Vulnerabilities?

Are You Prepared For the Latest Security Threats/Vulnerabilities?

It takes ongoing vigilance to stay one step ahead of all the online threats out there. As soon as the industry responds to one type of threat, another one pops up. It’s an ongoing cycle of hackers exploiting new vulnerabilities and companies trying to keep up before they’re hit with a major attack.

Keeping your cybersecurity defenses strong is a critical priority for any business because the impacts of a data breach or malware infection can be costly.

The average cost of a cyberattack for a small business is $200,000.

It’s important to know what types of attacks and security vulnerabilities are on the rise, so you can be properly prepared with proactive measures. The costs of just conducting business as usual and not paying attention to the security landscape can mean severe outages, lost business, and for some, the inability to bounce back after an attack.

Emerging Cyber Threats to Watch Out For

Technology infrastructure has become more complicated over time. There was a time when offices just had to worry about on-premises computers and maybe a few printers. 

But now, companies have a vast technology ecosystem that includes things like computers, laptops, mobile devices, remote workers, cloud applications, IoT devices, and more.

Keeping all those areas protected is vital to preventing a devastating data breach. The first step is understanding where you’re most vulnerable.

Here are some of the most dangerous areas of threat vulnerability for companies right now.

Ransomware Attacks

The Colonial Pipeline and JBS attacks have been a wake-up call to organizations about just how devastating ransomware can be and how prevalent it has become.

You would think that the world’s largest meat producer and the company running the pipeline that delivers 45% of the gasoline and heating oil to the East Coast would be prepared. But both companies ended up with major outages, causing widespread consequences, and both had to pay attackers a ransom.

Colonial Pipeline was shut down for six days, causing major gasoline outages across the East Coast and a nationwide rise in gas prices. The company paid hackers $4.4 million to get operations back up and running.

In the case of JBS, the company had its US plants, as well as some in other countries, shut down for a similar amount of time. It paid the attackers 11 million to regain access to its data and systems.

Payments like that are one of the major reasons that ransomware had grown so much in even just the past year. In 2020, ransomware attack volume grew by 485%.

The cost of remediating ransomware has also been skyrocketing. The cost doubled over the last 12 months from $761,106 to $1.85 million.

Some of the standard protections you need in place to protect against ransomware include:

  • Data backup with a fast recovery mechanism
  • Strong firewall with advanced threat protection
  • Antivirus/anti-malware 
  • DNS filtering to block phishing sites
  • Multi-factor authentication on all account logins
  • Email spam filtering
  • OS/software update management
  • Ongoing employee IT security training

Firmware Vulnerabilities

Firmware is the software that runs your computers, servers, and other hardware. It sits outside the operating system and can control the entire device, which has made it a popular target for hackers.

Over the last two years, 83% of companies have been hit with a firmware attack, many not even realizing this vulnerability.

Once a hacker can infiltrate the firmware layer, they can conduct all kinds of attacks without being visible and even tell the operating system how to boot or how to apply updates.

Keeping firmware protected takes several strategies, including:

  • Ensure firmware is regularly updated. (Firmware updates are not as visible as those for the OS, so you often must go looking for them.)
  • Follow good IT security basics (antivirus, employee training, etc.).
  • When buying new hardware, look for hardware-level or firmware-level protections being built-in.

Mobile Device Threats

Mobile devices now make up the majority of endpoints in an average business network, but they are often less protected than computers and servers.

As many as 53% of surveyed organizations have experienced a major IT security incident over the pandemic due to a vulnerable mobile device. Forty percent of security and mobile procurement professionals say that mobile devices are the #1 IT security threat for companies.

It’s important to treat mobile devices as you would an employee workstation. They need to have access monitoring and many of the same security safeguards. Companies also need to put mobile app download policies in place.

1 in 25 mobile apps has been found to leak user credentials.

Mobile security practices to follow include:

  • Use a mobile device manager (like Microsoft Intune) to monitor mobile device access to business data and manage devices remotely.
  • Use mobile anti-malware apps.
  • Require the use of a business VPN to secure connections.
  • Block access to unmonitored mobile devices.
  • Put app security policies in place to avoid mobile malware.

Get Help Keeping Up With the Latest Threats to Ensure You’re Not at Risk 

Leverage IT Group can help your DFW area business review your current IT security strategy and offer recommendations for any areas of vulnerability.

Contact us today to schedule a free consultation. Call (469) 458-0559 or reach us online.

 

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