We are living in a digital world, and there is no doubt that every business owner should understand that data theft is a very real thing; it isn’t something that happens to other people. You and your business can easily become a victim.
In this article, we present some of the common strategies that hackers currently use to steal valuable online data to help you stay one step ahead.
- Phishing – This is a commonly used strategy when a user receives a message supposedly from an organisation such as Amazon or Netflix, and in that message, there is a link and when you click on it, you are taken to a site that looks legitimate. You are requested to fill in the information fields with your personal information, and this is all the hacker needs. The best way to protect yourself from phishing is to enlist the services of Cyber Defence Specialists who understand this system.
- Ransomware – This is a devastating hacking technique whereby the hacker infects a computer with a file that isolates a huge chunk of data, and when the user tries to access that data, they cannot. They then receive a ransom demand in order for the hacker to release the data, and many business owners pay the ransom because the data is very important and they do not have a backup. Should you fall victim to ransomware, rather than pay the hacker, you should contact an Australian government department that is responsible for cybercrime and let the experts see if they can source the origins of the cyber-threat.
- Installing a keylogger – Most hacking strategies require that a file be installed on the target digital device, and once a keylogger is installed, it sends every keystroke the unsuspecting user makes on their keyboard. When you enter your credit card number, for example, this data is instantly sent to the hacker, and they can use this to commit fraud. The installed file will not be visible to the user, and even a scan would not reveal it.
- Clickjacking – This is a sneaky hacking technique where a button is added to a website, and when a user clicks on it, a bot file is secretly installed on the user’s device. The host might not be aware that the button has been added to their website, and once the target device has been infected, the hacker has the access they need to steal data. Click here for more cybersecurity tips.
- Cookie theft – Cookies are files that contain personal information, and they save a user time every time they visit a site because their login details are automatically added. If a cyber-criminal manages to steal such a cookie, they have the data they need to access the account. This is one of the most common hacking techniques that is used because there are no outward signs that anything is wrong, and the user only discovers the crime when money has gone missing. Many websites offer the option of installing cookies or not, and we recommend not installing any cookies.
- Trojan files – Given its name from the Greek tale of the wooden horse left outside a fort, which the soldiers brought inside and during the night, soldiers came out of the horse and attacked. Trojan files are disguised as legitimate files, and once they are on a hard drive, they execute whatever the hacker has programmed. It might be to delete all data on a drive or to quarantine data that is ultimately locked and will only be released when a ransom is paid.
- Viruses – There are so many computer viruses that we could never mention them all in this article; most viruses can be detected with an up-to-date anti-virus program. However, new viruses will go under the radar because the anti-virus database does not recognise the virus. A virus can be very complex, hiding itself in the registry and even moving itself every few minutes, which makes it very difficult to track down. A virus can be programmed to infect other computers on a network, which can cause serious damage to a business, especially if it infects the network server.
- Buying advertising space – Hackers often purchase space on a website to place an ad, and unbeknownst to the host site, the ad links to a malicious website, and when a user clicks on such an ad, they are taken to a site that is potentially very harmful. These so-called ads are very well constructed, and the average person would never know there is anything wrong, which makes it almost impossible to stop.
- Unsecured Wi-Fi networks – When a person logs into a free Wi-Fi network at a coffee shop, for example, they naturally assume that the network is secure, but it is often the case that the network has zero protection. If a user accesses their bank account, their login data is transmitted to a waiting hacker, and that is all they need to wipe out your account in a matter of minutes.
- Outdated software – If a software package has not been updated for a long time, there could be many security issues, and a hacker can gain access because of this. It is important to update programs when updates are available, as these updates often contain security patches to close loopholes that hackers can use.
Every single business needs top-quality cybersecurity in this day and age in order to fully protect its critical data. You can hire a local company to deliver training sessions to make your office staff aware of hacking strategies, which they will carry out in your offices at the end of a working day. To find such companies, start with a Google search to bring up a list of reputable providers of cybersecurity training, and once your employees understand how cyber-criminals work, the risks are greatly reduced.