At an individual level, cyberattacks are dangerous because they can steal personal information like family photos. At the national level, they can wreak havoc by disrupting vital services and infrastructure like power plants or hospitals. And at the global level, they cost billions in damages and lost productivity, with attacks disproportionately impacting small businesses.
Cyberattacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and expensive. As attackers gain access to better tools and techniques, it’s crucial for businesses of all sizes to deploy advanced cybersecurity solutions to protect themselves.
Among the most common cybersecurity threats, viruses are malicious code that infects computers to steal or expose data, disabling systems, and cause other harm. Worms are malware that exploits software vulnerabilities or backdoors to infiltrate a system and spread, while trojans are malware that disguises as useful programs by hiding in apps, games or email attachments before installing itself on a victim’s device. Other types of malware include ransomware, which encrypts a victim’s data and demands payment in exchange for regaining access to it, and scareware, which uses fake messages to trick users into downloading malware or giving their information to fraudsters.
Human error is also a major contributor to cyberattacks, with employees clicking on malicious links or phishing emails that allow attackers to gain access to networks and sensitive information. Privileged access management (PAM) can help mitigate these risks by restricting access to the most important assets only to those who need it, so that even if they’re compromised, an attacker cannot gain unauthorized privileges or access critical resources.
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