10 Common Cyber Threats and Ways to Avoid Them

Before investing in computer security services, you should identify the security threats that can harm your business. Although this sounds like a big problem, security risks can be identified and avoided with a proactive approach. Let’s take a look at some cybersecurity threats and how to avoid them.

Computer viruses

Computer viruses are malicious programs that invade computers by attaching themselves to a system or host file. After entering your computer, they can slow down the operations or lead to the loss of important data and files.

You can avoid computer viruses by installing antivirus software into your system to scan for viruses. Antivirus software scans codes or incoming files that are being transmitted through a network to detect viruses and prevent your system from attacks.

Phishing attacks

Phishing attacks depend on social engineering to attack the system. The user receives an email or a message requesting sensitive data such as identification or password. A phishing message may use legitimate appearing media and addresses, making it look official.

Keeping phishing attacks at bay requires being mindful of messages and emails you receive and avoiding opening them, especially if you don't know the sender. You may also need to check your email content before clicking on any links.

SQL Injection

An SQL involves data manipulation and is used to access information that is marked as unavailable. Malicious people manipulate SQL queries to access and damage sensitive information.

SQL injection prevention entails smart firewalls implementation to detect and filter any unwanted requests. You can also develop a code to identify illegal inputs of malicious users.

Malware

Malware, also called ransomware, attacks a system and will only stop the attacks after you pay a hefty ransom to the cybercriminal. The threats infect database systems before encrypting data and threatening to delete your files.

If your computer starts to slow down, shut it down, reboot the system and install security software to scan the computer for malware. You can combine malware with antivirus software from a reputable source.

Distributed Denial of Service ( DDoS)

In DDoS attacks, malicious people overload the servers with user traffic. When a server is unable to handle various requests, the website that the server hosts slows down or shuts down completely.

To avoid DDoS, identify any malicious traffic and stop the access. This may be involving and time-consuming, depending on the number of malicious IPs used to perpetrate the attack.

Trojan Horse

A Trojan Horse is a type of malicious program that carries other viruses and appears harmless and legitimate. They include backdoor, exploit, DDoS, Dropper, Downloader, and banker Trojans. When they attack your system, they can steal sensitive data.

An email could come with an attachment or a link containing the viruses and after opening the attachment, the virus is downloaded into your computer. To avoid Trojan attacks, you can install cybersecurity software or carry out regular software maintenance.

Cross-site ( XSS) attack

Under this attack, a third party targets a website that is not encrypted, causing malicious code to load into the system. When a user accesses the website, the payload is sent to their browser or system, leading to unwanted behavior.

One of the most effective ways of avoiding XSS attacks is through encryption. You can also use script-blocker add-ons to your browser or turn off scripts of your web pages to prevent instant activation of a malicious payload.

Password theft

An unwanted third party can guess or steal your password and access sensitive information. This is a more serious concern for enterprises because it may lead to the loss of sensitive data.

A robust password protection method is to have a two-factor authentication procedure that requires a second device to log in. Changing the passwords regularly and using complicated login thwarts may prevent the threat.

Zero-day exploits

This is a common attack that targets software, network, or a system by taking advantage of a compromised security situation. It causes unusual behavior to the system, data loss, or data damage.

You will be required to discover the problem caused by exploits and fix it. Since the attack vulnerability can exist for a long time before discovery, you should maintain functional safety habits until a solution is found.

Cryptojacking

Cryptojacking is a common threat in cryptocurrency that occurs where malware is attempted to be installed in the system. This threat attacks unprotected systems and is deployed due to the hardware-intensive nature of crypto mining.

Cryptojacking avoidance involves regularly updating the security software/apps and using the latest version on all the smart devices.

Conclusion

The above cyber threats continue to become complex as technology advances, but learning about them is a great way to defend your systems and networks. By implementing the avoidance procedures, you will be able to protect your business more effectively.

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