Building a company and keeping it afloat amidst financial turmoil is challenging, and it isn’t made any easier by the number of hackers who are taking aim at thousands of companies every day.
Across the world, as many as 30,000 websites are hacked daily, with 64% of companies having experienced at least one cyber attack in their lifetime.
If you own or are building a business, it is essential that you know what to look out for and understand the threats that could harm your operations.
As mentioned previously, 2023 is going to be a challenging year for many businesses, especially with the threat of inflation looming in countries like the UK, the US, and Canada.
By 2025, it is reported that cybercrime could cost the world $10.5 trillion yearly, so it is a serious issue which should be at the forefront of your mind at all times.
With this being said, here are five of the most common cyber attacks which will likely be utilised in 2023:
Malware Attacks
For many years, malware attacks have been the most typical form of cyber breaches. A malware attack comes in the form of a “trojan virus”, which is disguised as trustworthy software.
Once downloaded, the malware takes control of the network, cracks passwords and disrupts the operations of the business itself.
The best way to avoid this is by investing in efficient antivirus software or utilising firewalls.
Phishing Attacks
Emails are still highly utilised by companies across the world. For b2b organisations, for instance, they are one of the most effective b2b marketing channels, which is why your company should know the difference between legitimate emails and fake emails.
Phishing attacks are when an attacker impersonates a contact and sends a malicious – yet seemingly legitimate – email to the victim. When the victim opens this email, the attacker gains access to their information and accounts, which also allows them to install malware.
The best way to avoid this is by staying focused on what makes a real or fake email, as well as making use of an anti-phishing toolbar.
Denial Of Service Attacks
This is one of the most dangerous threats for companies in 2023. It works by the hackers flooding a system with traffic to exhaust their resources.
After this is done, the servers will eventually give in, and the website shuts down, leaving it vulnerable.
To fight this, it is important that your company runs a traffic analysis tool that can spot the warning signs and take immediate steps to defend itself against the attack.
Watering Hole Attacks
A watering hole attack is not as well known as malware or phishing, but it is just as damaging if it happens to your company. The hacker achieves this attack by targeting websites frequented by an organisation and infecting them with malware – which subsequently affects the victim’s systems.
This then gives the attacker control of the user’s personal information, with the possibility of also taking access to the computer itself.
Constantly updating your software and using sufficient watering hole security tools can help to avoid this, keeping your company safe by detecting any suspicious activity.
Password Attacks
Lastly, this is one of the most simple attacking strategies, but it still takes many organisations by surprise. If your passwords are basic and without special characters – or alphanumeric characters – then an attacker can use tools to crack them.
To avoid this, you need to remember the basics and ensure your passwords are strong and well-built to prevent attacks.
You should also ensure you are using multiple passwords and regularly updating them to limit exposure. This message – as well as messages on preventing every other attack – should also be communicated to the team to keep operations running smoothly and securely across the board.
