Don't Be a Target for Cybercriminals: Sidestep Them Instead

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Cybercrime can happen to your business through any number of routes. Most likely, though, cybercriminals will first find your business the same way your potential customers do: via your website.

But you can build a level of cybersecurity into your website at the website design and creation stage. After that point, you should also consider other security measures so that you can build your business and develop an online presence that has a more uniform security approach.

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Although it may never be possible to completely protect your business from cybercrime, you can make it so difficult for cybercriminals that they will give up and move on to other, easier targets. Of course, in order to do this, you will have to understand what cybercriminals are interested in and how they get their hands on the goods.

How Cybercriminals Target Businesses Online

Cybercriminals have multiple ways to target your business. For example, they will undoubtedly have access to your website and, through that, a form of contacting you or a member of your team. This makes your business, website, and team members prime targets for the following attacks.

Hacking Attacks

Hacking attacks are likely to come through your website. Cybercriminals might use malicious JavaScript via embedded hyperlinks to gain access to personal information, change advertisements on the page, or take over a user account entirely.

However, hacking doesn’t stop there. They could also hack your software. This can put all your business information at risk, as well as all customers’ and employees’ personal data. Information such as an individual’s date of birth, Social Security number, and finances are often targets. Cybercriminals can either sell this information on the dark web or create false identities that establish bank accounts, take out credit, or access victims’ bank accounts or pensions.

Phishing Attacks

You and your team members could be targets for phishing attack emails, text messaging, or phone calls. This is where a cybercriminal makes direct contact with your company for the sole purpose of gaining access to the data you hold.

In a lot of cases, the cybercriminal will either bait you to click a link in an email or text or lure you to a particular website. But when you visit this particular website or click the link, you will unwittingly download a virus to your computer system, providing an access route for the cybercriminal.

Ransom Attacks

Cyberattacks may not end there, however. There are ransom attacks to consider. Ransom attacks not only hack your site and access your information but also prevent you from accessing your own files. Then the cybercriminals will demand ransom, usually in cryptocurrency, before they will allow you to regain control of your site.

How to Protect Your Business from Cybercriminals

Of course, there are ways you can protect your business from these kinds of attacks. However, it is important to understand that cybercrime is changing and morphing all the time. Therefore, you will need your wits about you. You will probably also require the help of professionals from time to time.

Employee Training

It is imperative to teach employees about the requirement for strong passwords. Moreover, everyone in your company—including you—must frequently change your passwords. And always remember that weak passwords won’t even slow a cybercriminal down. They can quite easily guess them or worked them out.

You should also train employees to recognize the different types of phishing emails, text messages, or phone calls. Then, if they feel they have been the target of a cybercriminal, they can alert the appropriate individuals or teams within your business.

Additional Protective Software

Additional software is a must when it comes to protecting your business. You want to make it as difficult as possible for nefarious individuals to gain access to your data.

Take, for instance, ransom attacks. With the installation of proper ransomware protection software, you will be protected against most ransom attacks. Moreover, you will be able to recover any encrypted data quickly and your business will be able to continue as normal.

A Dedicated Cybersecurity Team

You should also think about having a dedicated cybersecurity team. This could be either outsourced consultants or an in-house team.

Such a team will provide your employees with a specific contact for reporting suspicious activity. Additionally, this team could provide them with support and up-to-date knowledge about cybercriminal activity.

These professionals, who are well-versed in preventing, detecting, and protecting all kinds of businesses, will make your business less accessible to those who wish to take advantage and seek access. They will also be knowledgeable about the latest methods cybercriminals are using to targeting businesses.

Stay a Step Ahead of Cybercriminals

Cybercriminals can steal your data and that of your customers and employees. They could hold your site hostage for exorbitant ransom and cost you serious downtime. Moreover, cyberattacks can seriously damage a company’s reputation, or even, in a worst-case scenario, force your business to close due to financial losses.

No part of your business is completely safe from cybercrime. Cybercriminals are smart. They constantly change their tactics to find loopholes in security. Choosing just one form of protection is not going to be good enough to prevent their attacks for all time. Instead, you will need to be continuously vigilant and make sure your business is protected on all sides, both inside and out.