Explore Common Cybercrime Targets

Many business owners ignore the risk to their organization and rely on hope and luck due to the complexity of cybersecurity. However, beginning a cybersecurity journey doesn’t need to be overwhelming. By viewing your organization from the perspective of an attacker, you can identify gaps and take action. In other words: Think like a bad guy. Here are some common cybercrime targets 

  • Phishing and Untrained Staff: There is an adage that cybercriminals use: “We don’t hack machines, we hack people.” People are one of the weakest areas of an organization when it comes to cybersecurity. According to StationX, a leading provider of cybersecurity training and consulting, phishing is the most common form of cybercrime. Phishing involves sending scam emails or text messages that trick individuals into providing sensitive data or clicking malicious links

  • Social Engineering and Unassuming Executives: CompTIA, a widely recognized IT trade organization, defines social engineering as “methods employed by hackers to gain the trust of an end user so that the hacker can obtain information that can be used to access data or systems." Social engineering typically involves impersonating representatives of legitimate organizations to manipulate people into supplying information such as passwords or personal details

  • Cybersecurity Staff Shortages Create Unwanted Attention: This is a favorite "opportunity” of cyber criminals. All the bad guy needs to do is search their target company’s job boards and identify open IT and cybersecurity positions. The more positions that are open and the older they are signal a staff shortage, and possibly an effortless way to make entry.

  • AI-driven Cyber Threats and the Struggle to Keep Up: Among the most malicious applications: Cybercriminals use AI to create deepfake voices and impersonate corporate executives. CNN recently reported that a finance worker at a multinational firm was tricked into paying out $25 million to fraudsters who used deepfake technology to pose as the company’s chief financial officer in a video conference call.

As more people conduct activities online and attacker techniques become more sophisticated, cyber threats have reached unprecedented

levels. Ignoring these evolving threats will not reduce your organization’s attack surface; inaction will only make it more attractive to the attackers.

It’s essential to prioritize security preparedness by honestly assessing your company’s risks, addressing them promptly, and recognizing that some aspects may require external help. . Please call or email us to discuss your cybersecurity needs today.

Next
Next

Top Cybersecurity "Things to Think About" in 2024