According to a recent study, 2 in 3 companies say they are unable to protect themselves from a data breach. With new regulations like GDPR and PIPEDA in place, companies face even greater fines (in addition to other consequences such as downtime, decrease in share prices and lack of customer trust) if they fall victim to a data breach. Attacks are getting more sophisticated, meaning companies need to keep up-to-date with the latest threats and security technologies in order to protect themselves. But how do hackers breach companies in the first place? And what can companies do to stop them?

Source: Forbes

5 Ways Hackers Can Enter Undetected and What You Can Do

1. Exploiting vulnerabilities: Vulnerabilities are flaws found in software programs or operating systems due to programming errors or improper configurations. Vulnerabilities act as a crack in the wall that give hackers entry into your systems until they are patched. Hackers looking to exploit vulnerabilities can use them to access your computers and/or install malware.

How Can I Protect My Business?

Users should install security updates and software patches as soon as they are released. Addressing vulnerabilities immediately is key because the longer they remain unpatched, the more opportunities a hacker has to exploit them.

2. Insider threats: Although most cyber attacks involve third party hackers, 28% of attacks involved malicious insiders. Malicious insiders can be broken down into two categories:

i) Accidental: These are stolen credentials used by hackers to steal information.

ii) Intentional: Employees, partners or contractors who intend to steal information.

Whether a user is intentionally malicious or not, insider threats are harder to detect because they are posing as a legitimate user. This is dangerous because they can wreak havoc long before they are detected.

How Can I Protect My Business?

Security Information Event Management (SIEM) systems use behavioural analysis to detect suspicious behaviour within your network. Due to its advanced capabilities, SIEM is able to pick up on things like logins at unusual hours or attempts at accessing unusual data. SIEM can also correlate suspicious behaviour with known threats to determine if a threat is taking place. For more information on what our Secure IT – SIEM can do for your business, contact us today.

3. Keylogging: Keyloggers are used to record keystrokes on your devices. When used by hackers, they can be used to steal passwords, personal information and anything else a person types. Keyloggers are spread to various means such as phishing emails or installed through web scripts.

How can I protect my business?

Using a firewall will protect you from a variety of threats, including keylogging. Keyloggers usually require a transmission of your data to the hacker through the internet. A firewall acts as a layer between your network and the internet and can potentially detect this and block malicious IP addresses/websites. At Jolera, our Secure IT – Firewall uses next generation firewalls to provide advanced protection for organizations.

4. Wireless hacking: Hackers who manage to hack your wireless routers put your networks at risk to several vulnerabilities such as eavesdropping, man-in-the-middle attacks and denial of service attacks. Successful hijacking of routers can also lead hackers to gain access to your network and the data you receive and send.

How can I protect my business?                                

As always, it’s important to be notified of any firmware updates for your routers and install them as soon as possible. Consider also using a WiFi security solution like Secure IT – Wifi, which includes next generation access points and 24/7/365 security event management for your wireless networks.

5. Social Engineering: Social engineering is when hackers use deception or manipulation to mislead employees into divulging confidential or private information. This means that Hackers don’t need to use high tech skills or equipment to infiltrate your organization. Social engineering relies on two things: a good impersonation (such as pretending to be a CEO, partner company, etc.) and an employee to take the bait. It can be difficult to detect social engineering because they tend to target users via email as opposed to directly hacking into your network.

How can I protect my business?  

The best way to prevent employees from falling victim to social engineering is to train them on cybersecurity with a cyber awareness course like Secure IT – Training. Courses like Secure IT – Training will help promote cyber awareness in your organization by informing employees of the latest threats and what they can do to prevent them. This will help your employees stay alert for cyberthreats like social engineering and help them develop good security habits that will protect your organization in the long run. Training, combined with an email security solution like Secure IT – Mail, will combine human effort with advanced email security to protect your organization from threats like social engineering.