When you leave your home for work in the morning, we can almost guarantee that everyone does one thing: lock the door. Why? Because it’s an easy way to safeguard your home from an opportunistic intruder.

We know that the front and back doors are a common point of entry for intruders, as are your windows and your garage door, which is why we close them before we leave the house.

But when safeguarding against cybercrime, it’s not just as simple as locking the front door. So, what are the cyber equivalents of these safety measures?

Let’s look at some of the most common cyber security threats and what you can do to prevent them:

Malware

Malware is a malicious software which takes place in the form of a code or program which is designed to do harm to a computer when it gains access to it. It’s the most common form of cyberattack and includes a range of different types of subsets such as trojans, ransomware, viruses, worms, keyloggers, spyware and others.

Denial of Service (DoS) attacks

Denial of Service attacks are designed to flood your network with false requests to disrupt business and prevent your company from conducting business. Under a DoS attack, employees are unable to perform basic tasks like access emails, websites and accounts.

Phishing

You’ve likely heard of phishing before, and this is because it’s one of the most common forms of cyberattack. Phishing uses email, text, phone calls, social media, and social engineering techniques to con a victim into sharing sensitive information. A common phishing technique, for example, is to send a text posing as the ATO demanding that you pay your taxes immediately… even though you’ve already paid them!

Spoofing

Similar to phishing, spoofing is when a cybercriminal poses as a known organisation or individual with a fake email address, making it look as similar to an authentic address as possible. Then, they attempt to gain access to your systems resulting in their ability to expose sensitive information, extort money, or install malicious software on your device.

Identity-based attacks

Identity-based attacks involve one of your employee’s identities being compromised and allowing a cybercriminal to pose as them via emails, instant messaging and accounts. It can be incredibly difficult to detect a difference between an employee’s typical behaviour and that of the hacker using traditional security measures and tools. The goal for cybercriminals is to gain banking details, passwords and other sensitive information.

These common cyberattacks may seem daunting, but the quicker you get your organisation in shape, the harder it is for cybercriminals to make effective attacks. Real Innovation Group offer tailored, scalable cybersecurity solutions to businesses across Australia. Prevent problems, get innovative solutions and save money all at the same time when you talk to the team at Real Innovation Group and inquire about our top-quality cybersecurity services.