In the age of digitalization and complex technologies, cyber-attacks are increasingly becoming the norm rather than the exception for companies
In view of increasingly sophisticated hacking methods and a multitude of new, partly still unknown malwares, the demands for optimized information security are growing in the business world. In order to avoid data protection violations and the associated legal and financial consequences, companies across all industries are forced to continuously adjust their investments with regard to data security and legal compliance. The following types of cyber-attacks currently pose the greatest threat and require special attention:
Phishing: Cyber criminals use various means to gain access to secure networks, with phishing being the most common. In e-mails or on social media, users are persuaded to click on misleading links, provide sensitive information or company data or even download content to their computer or server.
Malware: If a phishing victim ends up initiating a download, the worst case scenario is a malicious software. A Trojan virus, for example, is a form of malware that is disguised as legitimate software and infiltrates networks, often fulfilling its true purpose without the user being aware of it. Malware exists in various forms, its’ purpose can range from spying on systems to manipulating the underlying code.
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS): In a DDoS attack, the server is flooded with requests from various sources - heavy data flow is the intended consequence, causing the entire system to slow down or even crash. Effective use is no longer possible from this point until the flood of interactions is stopped and blocked.
Brute force or password attacks: Here the attacker aims to gain access to a network by using a specially designed program to decode a working password. Brute force attacks are the main reason for the broad recommendation not to use the same password everywhere and to change login data regularly.
Internet of Things (IoT) or algorithm manipulation: As organizations rely more and more on smartphones, industrial cloud computing devices and other IoT applications, their sensitive data is becoming increasingly vulnerable. Thanks to advanced automation, companies often trust their algorithms so much that many systems and codes run in the background with little or no human intervention. This provides an excellent potential target for cybercriminals.
How can your business be protected?
For optimized cyber security, careful, professional structuring of IT and data-relevant processes is essential. The implementation of an information security management system according to ISO 27001 can help you to meet this challenge in the best possible way. In the course of certification according to ISO 27001, not only reliable data protection but also process-oriented IT security and thus more efficient work is guaranteed. Confidentiality, availability and integrity of all integrated information are the most important quality criteria. Find out here how you can best protect your company against data loss and data misuse with ISO 27001 certification and how you can attest your customers comprehensive trustworthiness with regard to information security!
