Cybercrime has been rapidly increasing over the years but has become extremely rife during the pandemic. The rise of remote work and the confusion that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought has created vulnerabilities that cybercriminals seek to exploit through various different scams and attacks. Being aware of what these common cyber crimes are and how you can protect your business will be key moving forward. With this in mind, read on to discover the most common cyber crimes against businesses and what can be done to protect your company.
1. Phishing
Phishing attacks are one of the most common cyber crimes and have become even more prevalent during the pandemic. These attacks involve a criminal tricking someone into handing over sensitive information, such as credit card details or log in details. Often, these are carried out in the form of an email pretending to be from a legitimate company like a bank. Being able to spot these scams is essential and you should always be wary of unsolicited emails that require you to take action, especially if they do not use your name. If you have any doubts at all you can contact the company directly – not through the email or any phone numbers which you can see on the email. Research how to contact them separately or go into a branch.
2. Malware
Malware is another common cybercrime that can ruin a business. Malware is a type of application that can perform a number of malicious activities, such as stealing data, corrupting data or spying on a user. These days, ransomware is one of the most common forms of malware that holds data ransom usually for money. SonicWall firewalls are one of the best ways to protect your business from malware and stop outsiders from gaining access to the private data on your business devices.
3. Man-In-The-Middle Attacks
Man-in-the-middle attacks involve cybercriminals spying on employee communication to steal personal or company information that could then be used to cause damage in many different ways. These attacks have risen during COVID-19 because many people are working remotely and connecting to unsecured Wi-Fi networks. Using a VPN is one of the most effective ways to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks and to keep important business communication safe.
4. Password Spraying
Password spraying is a brute-force attack that involves cybercriminals attempting to gain access to accounts by trying common passwords and variations. In addition to having a strong password policy in place that includes using random, complex passwords, you should also use multi-factor authentication which will provide another layer of defense and stop criminals even if they manage to correctly guess a password.
These are a few of the most common cybercrimes that are affecting businesses right now. Cybercrime has become a major issue during COVID-19 with cybercriminals using incredibly advanced tactics to attack businesses of all sizes and in all industries. It is important for every business owner to take steps to protect their business, which should include investing in high-quality cybersecurity products but also using staff training to prevent human error from being an issue.