How much do you know about the impacts of cyber security on Australian businesses?
While we may be separated from the rest of the world geographically, the internet means we can connect to anywhere in a moment. This has allowed for new innovations and growth opportunities but could open us up to attack without the right amount of defence.
So, how can you prevent this from happening to your business? Awareness is the first step. Here’s what you need to know about cyber security.
Defining cyber attacks
There is a vast network of cyber criminals out there seeking to attack any business, no matter the size. Their attacks aim to compromise systems, cause major costs, and prevent continuity of service. And they don’t need to be experts to do it.
An online marketplace has emerged on the dark web, dubbed Cyber Crime as a Service (CaaS). Here, anyone can buy hacking tools, stolen data, malware, and other cyber-crime services. This means that even the most inexperienced criminal can cause major fallout within an organisation.
Help your business stay protected by understanding the attacks you are most likely to face. That way, you can help enhance your protection and be safer online.
Different Australian cyber attack types
There are all sorts of cyber attacks out there. Here are the most common to be aware of.
Phishing
Phishing occurs when a would-be attacker aims to obtain sensitive information by sending a deceptive email, message, or link. This includes credentials, passwords, personal data, or payment information. During these kinds of attacks, an attacker will usually masquerade as a trusted source and encourage fast action by creating a sense of urgency. With an effective email filter and awareness among your staff, you can avoid this attack with ease.
Ransomware
During a ransomware attack, an attacker will use malicious software (malware) to access and encrypt systems, preventing a business from accessing their data. This essentially halts operations, as the attacker will demand payment for the release of the compromised data and systems. Ransomware can gain a foothold through phishing attacks, malicious links, unsecured public networks, infected USB drives, and more. When you understand how your business could be impacted, you can mitigate the effect of ransomware and continue business as usual.
Denial-of-service (DoS)
This attack method aims to disrupt your operations by making your system, network, or service delivery inaccessible. It occurs when an attacker brings large and overwhelming traffic volumes, bandwidths, memory, or processing power to a system or network in an effort to overload it. As a result, things become slow and unresponsive, hindering operations and service delivery. This may be motivated by financial gain, revenge, or just to create chaos. But with bandwidth filtering and thorough planning, you can help prevent DoS from being an issue.
Man in the Middle (MitM)
When a cyber criminal intercepts and manipulates communication between two unaware parties, this is known as a MitM attack. Doing so means they can listen in on confidential communication, masquerade as one of the parties, or manipulate data being transported. Such an attack can be achieved through unsecured Wi-Fi networks, compromised network devices, and unencrypted or unsecured communication channels. By investing in encryption software, network protection, and increasing the awareness of your team, you can help protect your business against this threat.
SLQ Injection
SLQ (Structured Query Language) is a programming term that refers to the management of data in large database management systems. This management is primarily querying, updating, inserting or deleting data. So, what is an SQL injection? During these management processes, vulnerabilities can emerge that are exploited by cyber criminals to gain unauthorised access. You can reduce the likelihood of this occurring with effective firewalls and the expertise of a security provider.
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
XXS occurs when attackers compromise web applications by injecting malicious scripts into commonly viewed web pages. This allows them to steal sensitive information, hijack sessions, distribute malware, or deface a website. By helping ensure your web applications can sanitise or validate user input, you can reduce the chance of this attack taking hold.
Zero-Day Exploits
The potential of technology is immense and opens up a lot of opportunities. However, there can be unknown vulnerabilities within certain hardware and software. Sometimes, attackers will seek to exploit these vulnerabilities by launching an attack that can breach your data and disrupt your systems. You can help prevent this from becoming an issue with effective patch management and endpoint protection of your devices.
DNS Spoofing
Your Domain Name System (DNS) is in charge of handling communication between your computers, services, or anything connected to your network. It enables computers to communicate with each other by translating domain names into numerical IP addresses. So, DNS spoofing occurs when the DNS is compromised and redirects user queries to malicious destinations chosen by the attacker. DNS filtering can detect and block malicious activity, helping prevent your business from being impacted.
Valuable cyber security insights
When you understand the nature of cyber security and the associated risks, you are better positioned to protect your business against all kinds of attack types. These extra tips are worth keeping in mend when seeking to defend your organisation.
Make sure your password is strong
Your passwords act as the guardians to your important data, applications, and systems. That means the weaker the password, the more likely is it that an attacker will breach your business.
When considering the time it takes to crack a password, it can take as little as 3 hours an 8-character key with numbers, upper and lower case characters. Alternatively, it can take as long as 300 years to break through an 11-character key with numbers, upper and lower case characters, and symbols.
So, the stronger the password, the stronger your defences. It helps to implement password policies and standards across your organisation.
Invest time into awareness training
As the first line of defence, when your team know what to do and look for during an attack, it can empower them to reduce and mitigate its effects.
For example, with a phishing attack, if a team member knows what to look for, they can identify a suspicious message before clicking on any malicious links. Similarly, in the event of DNS spoofing, a team member can inform the rest of the team when they are directed to a malicious website and lessen the chance of spreading.
Bolster your cyber defence
One of the most important investments you can make is your cyber defence. There are all kinds of tools, solutions, and services that can help you back up your data, secure your network, create a disaster recovery plan, and cultivate secure infrastructure. This will give you peace of mind knowing your business is safer online.
Defend against Australian cyber attacks with TBTC Victoria East
TBTC Victoria East is here to help you protect your business against all kinds of cyber threats. Trust that we will take the time to understand your business, gaining insights into your needs, goals, security gaps, and growth plans. This way, we can make tailored recommendations that benefit you, rather than you spending on solutions that you might not need. Allow us to guide you on your security journey. Get in touch today.
