Every year we watch out for new viruses and evaluate how we should respond.

Hackers are not single-minded in their intent. It’s not just about discovering a vulnerability and exposing data for financial gain.

Sometimes it’s about disruption.

Redistributing the balance of power.

Exposing flaws.

There’s something to be said about the nature of malicious attacks and how they are changing with time, but the reality is that they will continue. And with increasing frequency as more devices and information are moved to cloud storage and digital footprints.

What are the ransomware concerns this year?

CryptoLocker. WannaCry. Petya. Bad Rabbit. Since trending upward over the last five years, ransomware continues to grow in the threat field. In fact, in awareness of this growing concern, Microsoft built an easy-to-configure anti-ransomware tool directly into the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.

It’s worth considering if you use the platform. A regular schedule of patches and updates is tremendously effective in stopping access to loopholes and vulnerabilities.

How widespread are social engineering attacks?

It takes a lot of time and effort for hackers to attack the security of a device—with brute-force passwords, or by developing custom and sophisticated malware, or hunting down vulnerabilities to exploit. It can sometimes be easier to convince users to willingly share their passwords, account info, or to install hazardous apps onto their device than to develop malware and steal info unnoticed.

For example, reports of tech support scams jumped by 24% last year.

Consistent training and reminders about basic precautions against malware, including running anti-malware software and never downloading attachments or clicking links in email from unknown senders and suspicious-looking email are imperative.

Where do the concerns lie with malware?

The Dofoil outbreak on March 6 exemplifies the kind of multi-stage malware attacks that are becoming more and more common. Commodity cybercrime threats are adopting sophisticated methods that are traditionally associated with more advanced cyberattacks.

If you’re concerned that you might be vulnerable to malware, it might be worth looking at the Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (Windows Defender ATP). It provides a suite of next-gen defenses that protect customers against a wide range of attacks in real-time.

For more insight into the current landscape

Cyber Security Technologies provides enterprise solutions and technology consulting in cybersecurity, systems integration, engineering development and product support. We also deliver application customization and consultation services to businesses for cross-platform integration of the patented RecordVault product or technology incorporating software-based multifactor authentication (MFA).

If you have concerns about safety or cybersecurity for your business, contact us for a free consultation.

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