Cybersecurity is a growing concern for businesses and organizations of all sizes. Even small businesses are not immune – and in fact, many SMBs may be especially vulnerable with the rise of remote workers. Phishing is one of the top cybersecurity risks that all businesses should be aware of…and it’s likely to get worse in 2021.
As you review your cybersecurity plan, it can be helpful to understand why a hacker might target your business or organization. Hackers have many motivations, and if you understand the potential motive, especially as it relates to your business, you can be better prepared. Potential motives of hackers include:
Money is of course a top reason why hackers do what they do. There are many ways hackers can make money from their efforts. Through phishing attacks, hackers can collect credit card information. They can also potentially gain access to a system, install ransomware, and lock the system, demanding money in exchange for removing the lock. Another way is to hack into a website and replace web pages with spam pages directing people to purchase a product.
One of the main reasons hackers might target a company is to get access to confidential or private information. This could include anything from credit card info to client lists, to proprietary information that might be stolen in corporate espionage.
Sometimes hackers target a system but not in a way that might be immediately noticed. They might want to simply hijack system resources. For example, a hacker might break into a network in order to use up computing resources for the purposes of Bitcoin or cybercurrency mining.
Sabotage is unfortunately one of the reasons why a hacker might attack your IT systems. This could be entirely personal – a disgruntled individual, perhaps a former employee or customer, may be mad at someone who works at the company. A group of hackers could be sabotaging your organization due to a dedication to a cause (whether just or not).
On a big scale, it could be a foreign nation trying to hack in for political reasons. And sometimes, bad faith business competitors might hack in to hurt your business on purpose.
Finally, some hackers do it just for the fun of it. They are looking for a challenge, or to just pass the time, and your network became a target simply because it was visible.
For all these reasons and more, it is critical to have robust cybersecurity measures in place.
In 2020, we saw a massive shift in the way we all worked and lived, thanks (or no thanks) to the coronavirus pandemic. Remote work became the norm instead of the exception. As companies from large to small adjusted, often quickly, sometimes less than secure systems were set up in order to enable working from home.
One thing most cybersecurity experts agree upon is that continued phishing attacks will be an issue in 2021, and many of these attacks will be targeting remote workers.
Phishing attacks are going to be a problem with remote workers, so make sure you train your team to recognize and avoid emails that could ask for compromising personal information as well as business passwords.
One of the biggest cybersecurity threats in 2021 will be legacy VPN systems used to connect remote workers to home offices. Many of these systems were hastily modified or scaled to allow for more remote workers during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. These VPN systems can have major security holes that can allow an unscrupulous hacker to install ransomware across your entire network.
Most IT experts are expecting to see an increase in cyberattacks in 2021. The problem is, many organizations don’t have the on-site IT staff or knowledge to thwart many of these cyberattacks. This is why it is very critical to consult with cybersecurity experts who can develop and implement a cybersecurity plan to secure your digital assets.
Edwards Business Systems provides expert cybersecurity consulting as well as a number of secure solutions for businesses and other organizations. We can help set up secure remote work environments that reduce the possibility of phishing and ransomware attacks.
Need help implementing robust cybersecurity measures in 2021? Contact us today at Edwards Business Systems for a free assessment.