5 Security Threats that Spell Doom for Any Organization

Fact: your business will always be susceptible to various security threats in at least some capacity. It’s up to you to counter these threats before falling victim to them. To help you with this, we’ll go over the top five threats that you need to be prepared for.

Viruses
Viruses are bits of code that plant themselves in your system and cause a myriad of problems. Viruses can cause system slowdown, problems with performance, and can even open the way for data theft or downtime. Security software like antivirus is usually enough to keep simple viruses out of your network, but more dangerous variants may be sneaky enough to dodge discovery and cause damage.

Malware
Also known as “malicious software,” malware infects a system and performs whatever its programmed function is. There are all sorts of variants out there, including spyware to watch the infected PC and capture keystrokes, and ransomware that can lock down files until a fee is paid. Malware complicates operations and can potentially put your business at risk of further data breaches.

Spam
Spam messages are both annoying and dangerous. Spam is the hacker’s preferred way of spreading viruses, malware, ransomware, and phishing scams, among other threats. They can effectively use spam to send out countless instances of the same attack to recipients all over the world. Thankfully, you can prevent the majority of spam simply by implementing a spam blocking solution. This can keep spam out of your inbox in the first place, eliminating the opportunity for user error or otherwise.

Phishing Scams
Hackers and identity thieves will use whatever tools they can to steal information from whole organizations, or specific individuals via targeted attacks. They may take advantage of the people or organizations with whom individuals associate themselves with, masquerading as vendors or close personal friends in order to gain their trust. The end result could be someone you think you know stealing sensitive information, like financial credentials or personally identifiable information. Take the time to understand some of the symptoms of these attacks, like poor spelling in messages or out-of-the-blue outreaches from the sender. Other common giveaway signs are unexpected urgent final notices or calls requiring immediate action. k_Street Consulting, LLC can help your business successfully identify these scams.

CEO Fraud
Whaling is a trend in which CEO fraud occurs by hackers stealing the identity of a C-level employee. For example, a hacker using the identity of a CEO could send legitimate-looking emails to the finance department asking for an immediate wire transfer. In these cases, the one on the receiving end of the message might not think anything of it and go ahead with the transfer. If you receive such a message, take a moment to question the legitimacy of the request by consulting official records regarding email addresses and telephone numbers associated with the message, or simply contact the CEO yourself. 

Does your business want to take network security to the next level? If so, reach out to k_Street Consulting, LLC at (202) 640-2737.