What You Don’t Know Can Hurt Your Business

What You Don’t Know Can Hurt Your Business

While you may know of common security threats such as network vulnerabilities, there are lesser-known threats that could be putting your company’s cybersecurity at risk. Without managing and mitigating these risks, your confidential company data could end up in the hands of malicious individuals. This guide will cover threats to keep in mind, as well as solutions to take control of your cybersecurity situation.

Dark Web Information on Your Business

The dark web can seem like an elusive place at times, and many companies neglect it as a pressing concern. This is especially the case considering that normal web browsers can’t access it. However, it’s a real threat for businesses today. Here is some of the information that the dark web may contain related to you or your business:

• Trade secrets
• Leaked passwords
• Banking details
• Credit card information
• Employee account credentials
• Confidential company documents
• Personal information
• Client data

Why Is Dark Web Data Dangerous?

The dark web not only contains this data, but users on it actively use this data daily. The most common reason data is on the dark web is to sell it, since company data is especially valuable for cybercriminals. Cybercriminals will use it to launch an informed attack on your business, and the more data they have access to, the more likely it is they’ll be able to break through security measures.

Others may have access to your banking details or business credit cards and, if they get access to it, may drain all of your company’s funds. Alternatively, criminals on the dark web may use these leaked details– either about your company or you personally– and blackmail you into paying large sums of money.

In short, your business can’t afford for this data to remain on the dark web without taking the proper security measures. While it can’t be deleted per se, IT professionals can monitor the dark web to evaluate your business’s risk and then create a comprehensive security plan to counteract any potential cyberattacks. They can also monitor the dark web for leaked client data as well, which allows you to notify these clients that their security may be at risk before it’s too late.

Why Multi-Factor Authentication Is Vital for Businesses

While you may think a password is secure enough to protect your valuable company accounts and the data they contain, this is often not the case. Passwords leave your accounts vulnerable because there is only one step between a cybercriminal and your data. As soon as this password is stolen or leaked, the criminal will have instant access to your account. Without proper security measures in place, you may not discover this threat in time to take appropriate action.

Leaked passwords are easier to come by than you might think. In fact, the largest password collection in history came to light recently. The leaked file, named RockYou2021, contains over 8.4 billion passwords, according to CyberNews. These include passwords from nearly every major data breach in recent years. Chances are, this file may contain passwords you currently use or have used in the past. Since the file was leaked online, criminals can easily use it along with your email or user ID in order to hack your account with ease, especially if you reuse passwords across multiple accounts.

This is where multi-factor authentication comes in. Multi-factor authentication, rather than simply having a password, requires two or more steps to get into an account.  This most commonly involves entering your password and then receiving a temporary code on your device that you enter to log in. This is far more secure than just having a password because criminals would have to steal the device, unlock it, and use the code in order to enter your account. Using multi-factor authentication, you can control who can log into your accounts and where they can log in from.

Why You Need Cybersecurity Training for Your Employees

While the dark web and multi-factor authentication are essential to warding off malicious individuals and cybercriminals, average employees can pose a cybersecurity threat as well. According to research from Tessian, 43% of people made mistakes that caused a cybersecurity threat in the company they worked at. Here are a few common errors that may have detrimental effects on your business:

• Accidentally Clicking a Phishing Email: Phishing emails are designed to look like legitimate emails but contain harmful malware or link to false login pages. If an attachment contains malware and your business doesn’t have the proper security measures in place, it could easily spread to the entire network. A false login page, on the other hand, can store account credentials for cybercriminals to use later.
• Using Company Credentials on Public Wi-Fi: If your company has employees working remotely or otherwise requires that employees log into accounts away from your business, some employees may use company credentials on public Wi-Fi networks, such as ones at coffee shops. This poses a major problem because public Wi-Fi networks are notoriously insecure, and even novice cybercriminals can monitor web activity or log passwords and usernames.
• Writing Down a Password on an Insecure Data File: Sometimes to remember company passwords, employees will write them down. However, if they accidentally write it down on a compromised device, cybercriminals could easily steal this and use it to hack into your business.

Unfortunately, these are only a few examples. Countless more exist, and the vast majority of your employees may be putting company security at risk unintentionally. In order to combat this issue, your business needs to implement cybersecurity training. Cybersecurity training is designed to educate employees on cybersecurity best practices to greatly reduce the risk of careless errors.

How 360 Smart Networks Can Help

It’s true that what you don’t know can hurt you, and the same goes for your business. If you’d like to take control of your company’s cybersecurity to protect cloud data, account credentials, and client details, you’ll need a team of experienced IT professionals. 360 Smart Networks is here to help. We offer a wide range of cybersecurity services designed to mitigate any potential cyber threats, including employee education, endpoint protection, and more. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.