Cyberattacks = True Ghost Stories

What was the scariest Halloween costume you saw last week? Chances are we know something scarier: the cyberthreats that want to take your business down. Listed below are some of the most common threats to your business’ future and what your business can do about them.

Phishing Attacks

One of the oldest tricks in the book is the phishing attack, where a hacker will try to trick you into handing over critical business data. The scammer might try to pose as a trusted entity to convince the victim that they should hand over a password, network access, or financial information. Your business needs to be on the lookout for these types of threats, especially the signs of phishing attempts. Some of the giveaway signs of a phishing attempt include mismatched or misspelled domains, language that doesn’t fit the presumed sender, a sense of urgency, threats, and so on.

Network Vulnerabilities

A hacker usually isn’t going to brute force their way into your network because the resources are not worth it in the hacker’s eyes. It’s more likely they will try to break in using a vulnerability in your network. These vulnerabilities surface over time if you fail to apply patches and security updates for your operating system and critical infrastructure. This is why it’s so imperative to stay on top of these problems and to monitor for potential issues at all times. Sometimes vulnerabilities might not be known by developers until they’re already being exploited, so keep an eye on your network for any suspicious behavior, like sign-ins from unlikely locations or at odd hours.

Data Loss

There’s nothing scarier than data loss, and to make matters worse, it can be a bit unpredictable. Data loss can happen when you least expect it and for any number of reasons, whether it’s a natural disaster, user error, or a hacking attack. This is why you need to prepare for the worst and hope you never experience it. Data backup and disaster recovery planning is one process that your organization cannot go without—not without putting your business at significant risk, anyway. You’ll want a reliable and redundant backup ready to go when (not if) you experience a disaster.

The Good News: Proactive Technology Support Solves These Problems

Most technology problems your business will face can be solved with a little forward thinking, which is exactly why we offer proactive IT solutions here at Macro Systems. We know that proper planning takes the bite out of pretty much any issue you might encounter with your business technology, and we specialize in supporting small businesses that might not have in-house technicians to handle this all-important task.

Learn more about proactive IT solutions today by calling us at 703-359-9211.