E-Topia Network & Cyber Security Technologies

While constantly evolving technologies have certainly made doing business a lot easier, there’s one downside to ever-changing technological advances: cyber threats. Hackers are smarter and faster than ever before. They’re constantly evolving their strategies and have managed to successfully cause extensive damage for business owners and consumers alike.

Equifax, Target, Capital One, Facebook, Yahoo, Heartland Payment Systems; those are just some of the mega-corporations that have fallen victim to cybercrime. These attacks have exposed the personal information of countless consumers, increasing their risk of identity theft, and have severely impacted the reputations of these organizations and caused significant financial losses. Big business and their consumers aren’t the only organizations that have been impacted by cyberattacks; mid- and small-sized businesses are also affected. In fact, smaller operations are even more at risk of being victimized by cyberattacks, and the fallout of those attacks is far greater. In fact, the damage from cyberattacks for smaller operations can be so severe that they may never recover.

Fortunately, there’s a way that you can protect your Long Island business from the very real and damaging effects of cyber threats. How? By making sure you have a robust cyber security plan in place.

Cyber security, also known as information security, is the practice of protecting the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of networks, programs, and systems from digital or cyberattacks. Typically, these attacks aim to access, change, and/or destroy sensitive information; for example, stealing the personal information of users, extorting money, or disrupting the operations of an organization.

An effective cyber security plan features several layers of protection spread throughout the devices, networks, programs, and information (data) to reduce the risk of cyberattacks. An ever-changing set of tools, technologies, and approaches are used to achieve this protection.

There are various types of cyberattacks and they are evolving at an alarming rate. As technology becomes more advanced, so do the tools and methods that are used to attack the sensitive information that is stored on devices and transmitted across networks. Examples of some of the most common types of cyberattacks include:

• Phishing.

  Phishing refers to the practice of sending malicious communications, such as emails, to consumers. Usually, this information appears as if it comes from a trustworthy source, such as a well-known company. The communications contain phishing links, and once those links are opened, hackers can gain access to a consumer’s sensitive information, such as their user name and password, social security number, date of birth, or credit card information. Hackers use this information to steal the identity of the consumer (identity theft) and can use it to create false accounts in the targeted person’s name.

• Malware.

  Malware is malicious software, such as viruses, spyware, and ransomware. Typically, malware seeks out vulnerabilities in a network, such as clicking on a suspicious link in an email or installing a non-credible application and then breaches the network. Once the malicious software has entered a system, it can acquire sensitive data and generate and spread more malicious software throughout the network. It can even block an organization’s access to essential components of the network.

• Social engineering.

  This type of cyberattack involves manipulating consumers into sharing their sensitive information. Phishing, clicking on an email that appears to come from a credible source but contains a malicious link, is an example of social engineering. Baiting is another form of social engineering. It’s similar to phishing, but hackers entice their victims by promising the delivery of a product – free movie or music downloads, for example – to trick them into sharing their personal information.

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  Man-in-the-middle attack (MitM).

  A MitM attack happens when cybercriminals interrupt the communication between two parties; for instance, hackers can place themselves on publicly used Wi-Fi and a consumer’s device. Since public Wi-Fi isn’t protected, criminals can view the information of their victims, such as their login information or personal details, and then use it to create false accounts.