One of the first known malicious computer attacks was created in 1989 by evolutionary biologist Dr. Joseph Popp. The malware called “PC Cyborg Trojan” was physically passed by a floppy disk and scrambled the systems file names rendering the PC unusable. Fast forward to 2020 and cyberattacks rank as the fastest growing crime in the United States. Cybercrime damages are estimated to reach $6 trillion by 2021. While the older threat tactics remain amongst the most frequent threats to cybersecurity, attackers are constantly looking for new exploits and strategies to defraud and damage companies. Some of the biggest threats we faced in 2020 include:
- Phishing/Social Engineering
- Ransomware
- Internal Attacks
- IoT Attacks (Internet of Things)
- Supply Chain Attack
So what can you do to mitigate the risks in 2021?
- Preform a Security Assessment on a regular basis. Prioritize cybersecurity by setting up a security strategy to assess and classify the data you handle and the type of security you need to protect them.
- Focus on cybersecurity awareness. Educate your employees on the importance of data protection and security protocols.
- Hack yourself! Engage a third party to perform a penetration test and a vulnerability scan on a regular basis.
- Have a strong backup policy. It will protect you from ransomware attacks.
- Automate patch and vulnerability management to keep your systems up to date and protected against potential cyberthreats.
