Threats in network security are abundant and not always apparent to those who aren’t tech-savvy. These threats may look like an email from your CEO or could even be a direct sack on your systems. Regardless of what threats may be looming, spotting them is an essential skill allowing you to stop them before they damage your system. In this article we dive into how to spot potential threats in network security.
Phishing attacks are specifically designed to deceive you. They resemble emails from friends, family, or even bosses, asking you to click on a link. Sometimes they’ll give you a reason to click, claiming to have a link to family photos or a new policy that needs to be implemented immediately.
When you receive an email asking you to click on a link, always check the email address it comes from. If it’s unfamiliar, spelled slightly differently, or originates from a non-business email address, it’s most likely a phishing email.
Ransomware is usually installed via phishing emails, so if you clicked that link, this is one of a few optional items that could now be on your system. Ransomware holds your machine at ransom. It locks down your device and encrypts it, much like putting a digital paddle lock on your device. You don’t have the key. The people who sent you the link do. You either pay them, or you don’t get your data back. Even then, they may not give it back.
Sentry recommends backing up your data regularly on the cloud. That way, if your device is taken over, you can get your hard drive, or your memory, completely deleted and then re-upload your data.
This tiny virus often operates in the background and can also be delivered via a phishing scam. Operating behind the scenes, different malware can have different goals. For example, a type of malware infects your machine with a system to mine cryptocurrency for its creator using your machine. This will slow your machine down, using a great deal of electricity, and you won’t see a penny for it.
Having a built-in antivirus protection tool that you run regularly will help you detect and stop malware as it comes up. Some products are better and more efficient than others; stopping malware is dependent on finding the software to search for it that’s right for you.
DDOS attacks aren’t usually done on a personal scale but a business scale. This attack focuses on your servers, the devices that make your sites function, and it shuts them down. This attack does this by shoving as many requests for information as it can, as quickly as it can, bogging down a server system incredibly quickly. This attack happens fast and can make an entire company inoperable until further notice depending on the scale.
If it’s your responsibility to prevent a DDOS attack, your best bet is to diversify and spread out your infrastructure. Don’t keep all your data points at the exact physical location; use more than just firewalls to protect your servers and make contingencies upon contingencies. Monitor your regular network actively and have a plan of action.
At Sentry it is our duty to make sure your network is secure at all times. Contact Us at (866) 573-6879 for any questions on IT services or Potential Threats In Network Security.
