Internet security and cyber security are one of the biggest threats to your business these days. There are a lot of things you can do to protect yourself from these threats however if you are looking for professional advice please check out our cyber security services and online protection services or contact us. However IT security is not only a very technical issue which you will outsource to an experienced IT consultant however it is also making yourself and your employees aware of certain risks. Even if you have the most sophisticated and latest anti virus software and firewalls installed the attacker will always true to trick you into making this software redundant. In this five part article Tech-Wales will warn you of certain risks and how to prevent them. Make sure you also read our previous internet security articles about malware via social engineering, password phishing, unpatched software and social media threats.
Advanced Persistent Threats (APT)
Many large companies have fallen victim to an Advanced Persistent Threats (APT) which are aimed to steal intellectual property. These attacks often find their way in via malware via social engineering and password phishing.
A popular method used by APT attackers is to specifically target certain persons inside an organisation, a technique called spear phishing. The attackers will send an e-mail with an attachment containing a trojan to the target(s) and hope one of the targets will open this attachment. After this trojan has been executed the attacker can take over the computer system of the organisation and will target other company resources and systems.
The computer systems of an organisation or business can be compromised in a few hours and often the attackers have access for months to normally well protected resources. The attack can be triggered quite easily but to clean up can take considerable amounts of time.
How to prevent and detect an advanced persistent threat (APT)
Detection and prevention of an APT can be very difficult especially when dealing with a persistent opponent. The easiest way to prevent is to make all staff aware not to open any unknown or suspicious attachments.
It is also advised to try and monitor network traffic to and from your computer systems to learn a pattern of traffic. An APT attack can be detected when unusual large amounts of data are being transferred which are outside the normal traffic pattern.
IT Security Risks Conclusion
Other used methods of cyber attacks include SQL-injection, XSS, PtH and password hackers however they do not have the volume of the five methods discussed in these blogs. Protect yourself against these five attacks and you are well on your way to secure your business.
Make sure to spend your cyber security budget on the most important threats. Do not spend a lot of money on high tech security projects and missing the obvious. Many companies spend a lot of their budget on guarding the front door whilst they keep the back door wide open. Also make sure all your staff are well trained on the subject of cyber security.
Tech-Wales can help you to protect your business against all attacks. Not only will we scan your whole organisation and computer systems to detect any potential weaknesses or threats we can also provide training courses for your staff to ensure they are all trained to the latest standards.
Do not hesitate to contact us for your peace of mind.