The digital age we live in has made robust cybersecurity measures a must, not just for individuals but for companies as well. In fact, for businesses, the need for good cybersecurity can be even more crucial since a single breach can affect a whole tract of people at the same time.
The more contemporary businesses, small and large, begin to digitize, the more vulnerable they become to an entire arsenal of cyber threats. If hackers manage to breach a company’s servers, it gives them access to a virtual treasure chest of sensitive information that can be leveraged against the victims.
Understanding these tactics is the first step toward implementing more robust security measures and protecting your organization from potential threats. As such, here’s a look at seven ways hackers can access company information.
Exploiting Server Vulnerabilities
For companies, securing your network infrastructure should always be a top priority. The latest specialized antivirus software for servers is usually the best way to do this. Without such measures in place, corporate servers often become the most common vectors for cyber-attacks. According to tech writer Ilijia Miljkovac, the most commonly used digital points of entry include business emails, remote-access servers, and cloud servers.
These become frequent targets as they play a crucial role in the operations and the day-to-day data storage of the company’s affairs. To guard against breaches that can be massively damaging, malware protection can be effective against a wide range of threats that employees may innocently happen across on the internet.
Between infamous methods like ransomware and spyware, which are designed to infiltrate and damage these key assets, many small businesses face a myriad of cyber threats that most employees may never even be aware of. To prevent these, regular system updates and security patches should become a non-negotiable part of security maintenance. These are vital for closing off any existing vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers.
Like a physical home also needs security from break-ins, apart from antivirus solutions, employing intrusion detection systems and regularly auditing server access can help identify and mitigate risks before they are exploited. Hackers are adept at figuring out and exploiting outdated software or unpatched systems—making it imperative for companies to maintain a strict maintenance regime for software and crucial system updates.
Phishing Attacks
Another all-too-common hacking method is phishing attacks. These remain one of the most effective techniques for hackers to gain access to secure systems. They are usually deployed via fake emails that can appear to be from known or credible sources.
The problem is that these emails often contain the means of breaking into or infecting the system, and, once opened, can install malware on the user’s device or redirect them to a fake website designed to harvest their credentials. By doing so, hackers can then access sensitive information like employee logins and passwords, essentially gaining access to everything else from there.
To prevent this, employees should be regularly trained to spot the signs of phishing attempts. Among these signs, email addresses should be checked for authenticity while things like grammatical errors and verifying links before clicking should become second nature to employees.
Weak Passwords and Poor Authentication Practices
Another very common security risk stems from poor password habits. Weak passwords are among the highest causes of this problem. Despite seeming elementary, if not handled carefully, they can pose a significant security risk. The easier the password, the more easily it can be cracked by brute force methods or guessed through social engineering tactics—both of which are very effective.
Unfortunately, despite the array of problems it can cause, many users still use simple and predictable passwords so they are easy to remember. However, while this may be convenient, it also makes them vulnerable to attacks. Implementing strong password policies and encouraging the use of password managers or other defenses like two-factor authentication (2FA) can make a huge difference in securing a company’s server.
Social Engineering
On the other hand, social engineering tactics involve cleverly manipulating individuals into willingly revealing confidential information such as passwords, or performing actions that compromise security. Behind their formidable tech skills, hackers are also master manipulators and can use everything from persuasion, impersonation, or intimidation to gain physical or digital access to restricted areas.
A prime example is where an attacker may impersonate an IT support worker. By doing so, an employee may unwittingly be duped into installing malicious software under the guise of an update. Regular training sessions on the importance of security protocols and the common tactics used by hackers again become crucial steps to defend against these kinds of threats.
This helps employees recognize and resist social engineering attempts even if they have never even heard of such things. It’s also beneficial to establish a verification process for confirming the identity of individuals requesting sensitive information or access to company resources.
Insider Threats
Despite all of these risks posed by outside actors, the truth is that not all cyber threats come from external sources. Sadly, in many situations, persons within the company may be the source of the breach deliberately. This can be done intentionally by leaking or passing on confidential information that gets used to breach the company’s server or unintentionally by employees just being negligent or uninformed about the threats.
A common practice in many businesses is the sharing of passwords between employees even when this practice is clearly prohibited. As colleagues have to often collaborate on work, sometimes, for convenience, employees may willingly share passwords with each other. However, even if you completely trust the other person, this is never a good idea.
A better practice if a colleague needs to use your system or profile is to log in for them without revealing the password information and stay close by so you can monitor what they do. In many cases like this, naivety and negligence can be responsible for an array of terrible consequences that can ensue from this bad office habit.
Ransomware
In other cases, ransomware can be deployed against a company. While entering through any of the ways mentioned, this particular type of cyber-attack ranks among the most pernicious types. It involves infecting company or organization software with a virus or a program that allows a hacker to gain control of the system. However, the key difference then becomes what they do.
In these cases, the company’s servers and all its most valued uses and information are held for ransom. By using it as leverage to be paid a ransom fee or money in some form (even cryptocurrency), vital services can be affected and people’s lives even placed at risk.
These kinds of attacks flourish when used against critical services like airports and hospitals since they place a greater degree of urgency on the situation and can force management to pay the ransom or risk things like having crucial medical systems like life-support shut off. Alternatively, patient information can be blocked, leaving surgeons and other specialists blind when treating patients.
Unsecured Wireless Networks
Wireless networks that are not properly secured can provide an easy entry point for cybercriminals. Networks without strong encryption or hidden SSIDs can be easily accessed by attackers within range, allowing them to intercept data transmitted over the network.
To protect wireless networks, companies should use strong encryption methods like WPA3 and regularly change network passwords. Additionally, disabling broadcast SSID can help hide the network from casual scanning by unauthorized individuals.
Conclusion
Understanding the multitude of ways that hackers can access vital company information is critical to developing effective cybersecurity strategies. It’s only by addressing the most common vulnerabilities and implementing comprehensive security measures that businesses can begin protecting themselves from the growing threats in the digital world. With a wide range of threats out there, companies need to keep adapting to an ever-growing range of threats.
