One of the advantages of being on the internet and using ICT to improve a company’s processing is automation. However, at the same time, we can expose ourselves to unfavourable situation if we do not act with caution or take the necessary measures. How do we know how to work if we do not recognize all the risks that can harm us? That is why we will explain the types of cybersecurity threats that exist to be aware of and avoid them. To navigate the potential risks and ensure secure online operations, Lumify Work provides a comprehensive approach, offering courses that delve into the various types of cybersecurity threats and how to mitigate them effectively. By enrolling in Lumify Work, individuals gain the knowledge needed to identify and address potential risks, safeguarding their online presence and leveraging the benefits of automation without compromising security.
Table of Contents
Are there many types of cybersecurity threats?
Of course, cybercrimes are actions that do not rest until they achieve their ends, whether it be harming third parties, carrying out extortion, or generating fear in their victims.
Sadly, the number of crimes is increasing, so cybersecurity seeks to reduce its consequences, becoming an essential requirement in the business world.
That is why different types of cybersecurity risks over time. A site, entity, or business is exposed if it hosts digital media information and does not take the necessary precautions.
What are the potential threats used by cybercriminals?
8 Types of cybersecurity risks :
If you intend to protect your system. Now we mention the 8 most common types of cybersecurity threats so that you are aware of them and their objective:
Malware:
It refers to all those files that contaminate and can compromise the security and the usefulness, and preservation of the equipment. Commonly as viruses, among the best known are Trojans, being a threat to mobile devices and computers.
Phishing or identity theft:
A series of fraudulent acts are carried out through emails or messages from recognized entities to generate trust. To obtain consumers’ credentials and then extort them or directly steal their money.
Threats to banking entities:
Following those mentioned above, they also install malicious files to obtain the money that can leak account information, movements, and the victim’s balance, which puts the banking system at risk and, therefore, its users’ safety.
Its other way of operating is to use this information to emulate the behaviour and data of an administrator or system manager to carry out transactions without raising suspicions.
Crypto mining:
It is a crime in which attacks are directed at the accounts, be it a user or a company, to steal their cryptocurrencies.
DDoS attacks:
The term DDoS is due to its name in English ( Distributed Denial of Service ), which has the objective of executing a distributed denial-of-service attack; that is, it renders a website, server, or software inoperative. A series of aggression must be carried out from different points or using bots to achieve it.
Ransomware:
One of the greatest threats from which companies must protect themselves is the primary victims of this situation. It consists of a malicious system that restricts or prohibits access to a company’s confidential data, and the option to deactivate it is by paying the amount requested. Refusing to do so is configured to delete the information or lose access to it permanently.
Botnets:
Also known as a robot network, it is a threat to computers acting through Trojans that filter into it to send information as spam. This system’s peculiarity is that it runs by itself, as it is in this way and can attack several computers simultaneously. The ultimate goal of this crime is to control the computer.
SQL injection:
This crime takes advantage of the vulnerability of the validation of access to a site or application to infiltrate its database to obtain users’ information. It has this name because it embeds an SQL code. It is leading to phishing and other harmful consequences for victims.
9 cybersecurity tips to increase the security of your data while you browse
Now that you are aware of the types of cybersecurity threats, it is normal that you are interested in knowing what to do before a cyber attack? Fortunately for you, there are programs, software, and methods to avoid this situation. That is why we will mention the most accessible and beneficial:
Review the sender and his information:
To avoid methods that could put your information at risk, you have several options. One is to check for pop-ups and suspicious new users or contacts.
Although it emulates a domain with its images and some entity’s wording, it is crucial to verify who they are.
The most common is that they ask you to recover passwords because they have detected “suspicious” activity in your accounts. To do this, you must review the following data:
- Sender.
- Mail information.
- Verify the email address, because if it is from an entity, it is usually corporate, and after the @ will be the name of the company.
- The body of the text is meaningless or if it seems suspicious.
Do not provide your data!
Returning to the previous idea, part of the error we make when receiving some information from someone that seems safe to us, banking, for example, usually indicates that our users are blocked and request a data reset.
You have to be careful, and for this, it is good to corroborate the previous tip because many times, these messages are fraudulent and use a trust mark so that users agree to make an unnecessary change.
On the other hand, if it is a banking service, we can contact the company by phone to report on the current situation.
The most significant thing is to avoid filling out forms or providing personal data on sites that we have not confirmed valid.
Use of antivirus and firewall:
It is the best ally if we want to protect ourselves from malware and different cybersecurity threats by keeping our devices protected. And, always scanning the number of malicious files that may affect the system.
Frequent data update:
You can make changes to your password every few months. You are maintaining a high difficulty index to avoid any forced attempt at our accounts.
Two-step verification:
While many apps and services offer it, not all of us take it seriously and apply it. However, as internet users, we must take every opportunity to stay safe while browsing. which is why activating this option on all platforms that offer it is a way to safeguard our information.
Navigate safely and with caution:
It is essential to note that being in the comfort of our home does not consider saving the credentials for a site or forgetting to log out. However, if we do it from a different computer, we must be cautious either at our work or elsewhere.
Although it can be a bit annoying to read the permissions that we grant to a site, when we enter, uncheck the reminder of our credentials, or use the search engine as a guest. All these actions will help ensure that our information does not fall into third parties’ hands.
Functional and updated operating system:
Currently, many of the operating systems report when there is an update and even do it automatically if it is configured in this way. Also, periodically reviewing these properties and our antivirus will prevent a malicious file from invading our computer.
Safe downloads:
It is essential that when making a download, we try to investigate the manufacturer. And, the official sites to obtain a said product because it can publish on an unauthorized website. Consequently, our information and equipment can be at risk because attaching malware would cause damage the system.
Hire a cybersecurity service:
This last piece of advice is the best choice for companies to maintain their processes’ confidentiality so that it is necessary to defend themselves. And, the perfect solution is cybersecurity.
Having a staff focuse on this area will be possible to support. And, maintain the security of the networks and devices necessary to work.
Once we recognize the risks we may face, our security measures’ optimization increases. Once we have a prevention protocol, cybersecurity threats will no longer be a problem to fear. On the contrary, we can avoid them and face them in the best way if the occasion arises.