A cyberattack can be defined as a premeditated strike carried out by cybercriminals – using computers against another computer or a group of computers and its servers. Cyberattacks can arise in many forms – Phishing, Malware, and Hacking being the most prominent forms.
Cyberattacks and Cybersecurity – The Numbers.
Cyberattacks have become more frequent these days, with startups being the major victims of their activities. A survey conducted by the State of SMB cyber security showed that almost 80% of all small businesses have at some point been subject to a form of cyberattack.
Cybersecurity is the process of putting measures in place that reinforce your computer and server security, protecting them in the event of a cyberattack. All companies, even the successful ones have all been subject to cyberattack at some time in their development.
There are many ways through which your startup can be attacked by cybercriminals, some of which are:
Different types of cyber risks facing startups
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Phishing – This is the most common way by which organizations are attacked. Phishing attacks generally occur by targeting the human element of the workplace, and it is carried out mainly through compromised links and emails in an attempt to retrieve sensitive information like passwords.
Statistics from Expert Insights show that the majority of data breaches experienced by a company arise through phishing.
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Malware – Malware is generally used to describe any form of virus that downloads itself on a computer or server, corrupts it, while destroying the system along with its data in the process.
In some instances, the malware locks the owner out of the system, requiring some sort of payment before it is unlocked. This is known as Ransomware.
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Weak Passwords – despite the awareness surrounding the risk associated with using weak passwords, or repeating passwords, one out of every 5 people use the same passwords for everything.
This is especially risky because it means that a breach in one aspect of a worker’s life, would amount to a breach in every other aspect.
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Insider Threat – A major problem is small organizations is that many have not learned the importance of tiered access. A research conducted has shown that over 60% of staff in startups have access to information they didn’t need. This unhindered access to sensitive information means anyone can sell out company secrets, especially an angry ex-worker.
These are some of the many risks that startups face from cybercriminals every day, outlined below are some tips on how to protect your business.
8 ways to secure start-ups
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Tiered Access – This is probably the most important measure to implement, ensuring that only higher level officials have access to sensitive areas, reducing the likelihood of firm’s secrets getting out.
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VPNs – While in the office space, it is important that all the devices are connected to a network. This can however be exploited by criminals, attacking devices with weaker security. Protect those devices by using a VPN router to secure every device on your network.
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Anti-Virus – Anti-Viruses are a form of protection that can be installed on a device, protecting the device from unwanted cookies, malware, and viruses that may be trying to enter the system and damage it.
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Paid Security – This is more common among the bigger establishments, but some companies are invested in the protection of the databases and servers of other firms. Part of their services includes installation of firewalls, scheduled checkups, and maintenance of the security measures.
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Create Awareness – The human element of the organization is the most important sector, so there should be regularly scheduled talks between employers and employees to remind them of the risks that cybercriminals pose, as well as how to protect themselves from phishing attacks.
The talk should also cover strengthening the boss-employee relationship, to develop and maintain trust in the workplace.
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Stronger Authentication – To ensure better protection of the establishment, startups should educate their workers on the importance of using stronger passwords, introducing them to the best password managers that can store all their passwords without having to remember them. There should also be extra layers of security at every point, to ensure that a breach at one point does not equal a breach at another.
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Automated Processes – Humans are prone to errors – that could arise from a lapse in judgment, or absentmindedness caused by a personal problem. According to research, human error costs businesses over $62 million per year. This is quite a lot of money, so firms should automate any processes that do not require a human to do.
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Proper Disposal – Now and then, establishments replace their old devices with new ones to allow for efficiency. Before donating old devices, it is important to wipe the hard drives to prevent sensitive information from getting out. It is also safe to dispose of paperwork by burning, rather than shredding.
Conclusion
It is impossible to have all the preventive measures against cybercriminals and their tricks, but implementing the above measures will help secure your startup to a large extent.
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