Cybersecurity professionals who have taken cybersecurity course and obtained years of experience in the field continually defend systems against a variety of cyber-threats. Cyber-attacks hit business and private systems daily, with the variety of these attacks quickly increasing.
According to John Chambers, former Cisco CEO, there are two types of companies: those who have already been hacked, and those who aren’t aware that they have been hacked yet.
There are many motives behind cyber–attacks, with one major reason being money. Cyber-attackers take a system offline, demanding payment to restore functionality. This attack requiring payment to restore services is called ransomware, and it has now become more sophisticated than ever.
But wait, there’s more. Here are the various cybersecurity threats you should be aware of:
- Quantum Threats
Quantum computing is gaining traction with large tech companies planning to deliver high-powered quantum computing hardware over the next years. The power of quantum computing poses numerous benefits for society, especially in terms of analyzing algorithms, science, research, and improving artificial intelligence and machine learning.
But with advantages also come threats to traditional cybersecurity and encryption. Quantum computers can possibly break public-key cryptography, which can be a major threat to business and national security.
For instance, hackers can use quantum computing to breach passwords, among other cybersecurity defenses. This will be used to enter networks to install malware and ransomware. Attackers can also deploy quantum-strengthened encryptions for encrypting files to use as ransomware attacks.
- Software Supply Chain Attacks
Cyber-attacks are incredibly disruptive to major software suppliers. One significant example is the attack on SolarWinds, which was revealed to be done by the Russian foreign intelligence service. Hackers infiltrated the company’s software-building process and infected legitimate software updates with malware.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the last time such attacks will happen, especially with more organizations turning towards software as cloud-based technological solutions.
Your network may be as resilient as possible to cyber-attacks, but if your supplier is hacked, attackers will have an easy way into your network.
- Malware Attacks
Malware and cyber-attacks from traditional computing power can cause a ton of damage and disruption. It can shut down nuclear plants, power stations, and other small to large businesses alike. Malware attacks are one of the most common and destructive attacks worldwide not only for businesses but for private individuals as well.
- Deepfakes
A business email compromise is another successful form of cyber-crime, costing companies billions every year. The most common form of this attack is carried out via email, with cyber criminals hacking into legitimate email accounts of bosses. They will then request staff to make significant financial transactions, with victims being tricked into the attack by being told the “bosses” are working on a secret deal that must be accomplished quickly.
Wrapping It Up
Stay updated with the growing number of cyber-threats and how to prevent them from happening to your system to avoid costly consequences.
