Cyber Threats

Most common types of cyber threats include: - Phishing & social engineering: deceptive emails, texts, or calls that get you to click, share credentials, or pay invoices. - Malware: software designed to damage or spy on systems (e.g., ransomware, trojans, spyware). - Business Email Compromise (BEC): impersonating executives or vendors to reroute payments. - Password attacks: credential stuffing, brute force, or guessing weak/reused passwords. - Insider threats: mistakes (misdirected emails, wrong sharing settings) or malicious actions. - Vulnerability exploits: attackers abusing unpatched software or misconfigured cloud services. - DDoS: flooding a service with traffic to knock it offline. - Supply-chain attacks: compromising a trusted vendor or software update to reach many targets at once. - IoT & mobile risks: insecure devices, apps, and endpoints outside the office perimeter.

The most common sources of cyber threats are: - Cybercriminals seeking money (ransomware, BEC, data theft for resale). - Nation-state or advanced groups targeting IP, critical infrastructure, or sensitive data. - Insiders—both negligent (accidental data exposure) and malicious (theft, sabotage). - Third-party vendors/partners with network access or who handle your data. - Automated bots scanning the internet for known weaknesses within minutes of disclosure.

The best defense against common cyber threats is layered and requires people, process, and technology working together. Start with people—provide ongoing security awareness training so employees can spot phishing and handle data safely. Require strong authentication (MFA) and a password manager to eliminate reuse, and keep policies simple and clear so everyone knows how to handle data and report incidents. On the process side, keep systems patched on a schedule and fast-track critical fixes. Limit access with a least-privilege approach and review permissions regularly. Maintain tested backups (3-2-1 rule) and a straightforward incident response plan that outlines roles and steps. Don’t forget vendor diligence—perform basic security checks on partners that touch your data. For technology, layer tools that reduce risk without creating friction: email and web filtering, EDR/antivirus, and full-disk encryption on devices. Lock down cloud and mobile configurations with automatic updates and MDM, centralize logs in a SIEM for alerting, and segment your network with firewalls and DNS filtering to contain threats.

Cyber threats have shifted from broad, noisy attacks to targeted, business-savvy campaigns. Early mass spam and simple malware gave way to spear-phishing and business email compromise that exploit trust and context. Ransomware evolved from basic file-locking to “double/triple extortion,” where attackers also steal data and threaten leaks. As work moved to cloud and SaaS, identity and configuration weaknesses became prime targets, while supply-chain compromises let attackers reach many organizations at once. Remote and mobile work expanded the attack surface across home networks, IoT, and OT devices. Today, automation and AI accelerate everything—more convincing lures, faster exploit development, and near-instant scanning for newly disclosed flaws—so speed, visibility, and resilient processes matter more than ever.