Protecting Your Startup From Hackers

Protecting Your Startup From Hackers

In today’s business environment, protecting company data has become a top concern. Hackers are actively looking for ways of compromising your business’s data in any possible way. A recent study at the University of Maryland revealed that a cyber-attack is attempted every 39 seconds. This goes to show how vital protecting your company data is.

As a startup, cyber-attacks can be particularly detrimental to your daily operations. The reality is that such attacks are expensive, and they can affect your ability to grow and develop a brand.

The good news is that by understanding the risks you face; you can implement strategies to keep your data secure from hacking.

What types of risk does your company face?

There are many different types of cyber-attacks. Hackers are also implementing new techniques by the day, so it’s essential to remain one step ahead when addressing cybersecurity concerns.

Here are some of the most common attacks you may be vulnerable to:

  1. Malware

As the most common type of cyber-attack, malware affects millions of businesses each year. Malware is a type of cyber-attack where malicious software is installed and spread across your system.

Such software can paralyze your operations, expose sensitive data to hacking, and even cause damage to your company infrastructure. Malware manifests itself in the following forms:

  • Ransomware

Think of ransomware as your business being held at ransom. This malware blocks access to your company data until a ransom is paid to the hacker. In most cases, you’ll be unable to use your systems and the hacker may even threaten to delete your files if you don’t meet their demands.

  • Worms

Worms are a type of malware that can carry out malicious acts on your systems. These worms are typically hidden in email attachments or links that will spread across your network.

  • Trojans

Trojans are typically hidden within software. When you install a program on your computer, any Trojans present will launch on your system and carry out attacks.

  • Viruses and file infectors:

Viruses are known for their ability to replicate across your systems quickly. They may be present in applications such as Word and Excel, after which they gain access to other system components. In the case of file infectors, this type of malware attaches to executable files (.exe).

  1. Phishing

Phishing attacks are another popular type of threat your startup will face. Phishing attacks are essentially malware that’s disguised to come from a trustworthy source. For example, hackers may design an email to look as if it came from a colleague or a supervisor. Such an email may contain a malicious attachment, link, or request to share sensitive information.

  1. Dos Attacks

Denial of Service (DoS) attacks are designed to overwhelm your systems for a specific amount of time. The attack may exert a strain on current resources so that you’re forced to go offline. In such cases, your system will be more vulnerable to malware because it won’t be operating at maximum efficiency.

  1. Drive-bys

Drive-by attacks are targeted towards the visitors of insecure websites. If you happen to land upon such a site, you may have malicious scripts penetrate your system because of the web page that you visited.

  1. SQL injections

SQL injections affect business databases. The attack may access your databases’ sensitive information, make unauthorized changes, or issue malicious commands.

  1. Eavesdropping

Eavesdropping attacks intercept incoming traffic to your website. In this way, hackers can access credit card information, usernames and passwords, and other sensitive data.

 

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