Looking back at 2022 through the lens of cyber security, it’s apparent that cyber criminals had a profitable year. Cyber attacks hit many companies, including social media platforms like Twitter, which confirmed data from 5.4 million accounts being stolen. A student loan data breach leaked 2.5 million social security numbers, and companies faced fines for attacks that led to the release of customer information.
The good news? There’s more you can do to protect your company and your customers.
Targeting Email
Among the most commonly targeted areas of attack is email. According to Security Magazine, this type of cyber attack increased by 48% in 2022, with 11,395 attacks reported and more than $12 million in losses.
Phishing continues to be the most common method, and it’s a type of attack that is preventable. Education is the best defense against attacks that occur through the use of email. Scheduling regular training can help your employees learn to recognize a phishing email and the proper way to report it to your security team.
IoT Attacks
As the Internet of Things (IoT) becomes more prominent in work environments, more needs to be done to prevent cyber attacks via these devices. Fortunately, cyber security experts have identified vulnerabilities that can be sorted out with some common solutions. For example, keeping software updated at all times, strong encryption of Wi-Fi and private 5G networks, complex passwords, and changing those passwords frequently are all ways to prevent an attack.
Ever-Present Ransomware
IBM reports that 2022 saw a growth of ransomware by 41%. What’s troublesome about ransomware is that it takes so long to detect and mitigate, with a resolution requiring roughly 49 days longer than other types of breaches.
Preventing ransomware attacks comes down to educating employees and users about recognizing vulnerabilities, but there is also security hygiene to consider. For example, network segmentation is a good way to prevent these types of attacks from hitting every department in the company. The segmentation quarantines an attack to a single department, not allowing it to spread throughout.
Work With a Professional
Outsourcing security and monitoring may be a good solution, as the technology evolves so quickly. Furthermore, knowing which solutions will work for your unique situation is difficult, leading to a trial-and-error scenario that can get expensive and risky.
At Independent Connections, we manage your IT so that you can manage your business. We’ll equip you with cyber security solutions to help you manage the threat of cyber attacks. Contact us for information about secure cloud solutions, managed services, traditional and hybrid infrastructure, and more.