Devastating Hacks Your Business Should Be Aware Of

The world is full of threats that could harm your organization, and they usually all have one thing in common: generally, the user is a weak point in the defenses of your company. Macro Systems has created a list of some of the most catastrophic hacks that your users should be mindful of so they can best respond to them.

Malware
Malware, or malicious software, can be especially harmful for businesses. The types of malware vary: they can be extremely passive to extremely dangerous, with the most notable of which being ransomware. Ransomware can potentially lock down your organization’s network or files located on it using encryption, providing the decryption key only when a ransom is paid. We urge you not to pay the ransom, as it’s only furthering the agenda of hackers by you paying up. Instead, we recommend adequate preventative measures that keep ransomware at bay in the first place. Ransomware tends to spread through email and spam, so be sure to warn your users about clicking on links or attachments that are unwarranted and suspicious. Data backup can certainly help, as well.

Phishing 
Phishing attacks are often spread via spam and email as well, in which a user accidentally hands over credentials or sensitive information that can be used to access accounts or other data. These phishing attacks can often be elaborate and difficult to recognize. Sometimes they can take the identity of your IT department or your business’ senior figures. Never provide credentials for any purpose unless the inquirer can legitimately be identified.

Password Hacks
You may recall some of the huge data breaches that have leaked sensitive information, including passwords, to the public. These passwords often wind up on the black market, where they are purchased by hackers. If you ever suspect that your users have had their data stolen during these breaches, it’s imperative that they change their passwords as soon as possible.

Denial of Service Attacks
Denial of Service attacks are when a server is overloaded with traffic to the point where they are no longer able to function as required. Distributed denial of service (DDoS attacks) are often used as weapons to cripple infrastructures and bring services to a halt. Botnets (large groups of infected computers) are used to constantly ping servers with traffic to bring them down.

Man in the Middle Attacks
Man in the Middle attacks can occur when an attacker directly alters or interacts with the communications between two parties. This can happen over an unencrypted wireless network, and it’s especially dangerous because both parties believe they are interacting with each other rather than the hacker in the middle.

Drive-By Downloads
Not all downloads that happen on a device are made with the device owner’s consent; a piece of malware can trigger a download without asking for the user’s permission, as well as without the user comprehending the consequences of downloading said file. Sometimes all it takes is clicking on the wrong tab, download link, or dialog box. Drive-by downloads are so dangerous that steps are being taken to thwart them when possible.

Don’t let your organization be victimized. To find out how your business can protect itself in times of danger, reach out to Macro Systems at 703-359-9211.