Apr 07, 2022

Cyber attacks are evolving quickly, frustrating organizations on how best to protect themselves. Attacks are happening all the time, every second, and that in itself makes keeping a business protected that much more difficult. The unknowns of how, when, and where an attack may occur are adding complexities to today’s vulnerabilities making it critically important to protect your business from all sides possible. 

Disturbingly, since the pandemic began, an increasing number of attackers are taking advantage of security weaknesses in growing sectors, including supply chain and transportation. Studies show that businesses suffered 50% more cyber attack attempts per week in 2021 and cybercriminals can penetrate 93% of company networks. Targeting user ignorance and security gaps, today’s cybercriminals use techniques such as:

• Ransomware - Malware that encrypts an organization’s critical data so they cannot access it to hold the data at ransom.
• Malware - Stands for malicious software, and is typically a file or code that is inserted through a network and infects information. 
• Spear-phishing - This occurs when a cybercriminal sends fraudulent emails from the appearance of a known or trusted sender to induce individuals to reveal confidential information.
• Social engineering - This is characterized by cybercriminals who psychologically manipulate people into performing actions or revealing confidential information. 

Defending a business by securing the “four walls” is no longer the only suitable option. Increases in the number of remote workers, cloud-based applications, and devices have created additional challenges to secure a business environment both on a campus and, now, virtually. Top that with the bad actors getting smarter. 

Hackers are more sophisticated

As technology becomes more sophisticated, so are the ways bad actors attack. They find ways to use unaware third-party, fourth-party, and even nth-party applications, find the vulnerabilities, and access sensitive data areas in a business. For example, businesses have reported crimes where bad actors used spoof DNS addresses of devices to redirect unaware users. This can be done through side-channel attacks (for example: simulating the sound of a keyboard click or anything using Bluetooth connectivity) to access sensitive data locations. 

Furthermore, guest devices can carry in malware, unintentionally and most often with an unaware user. The unassuming use of a work computer for the sporadic personal email or download can open a business up to a hacker. Even worse, some of these attacks don’t occur immediately. They can “sniff” for a long time before implementing an attack. It’s scary to imagine that just one affected device can disrupt or cripple your entire operation.

It’s not about Business Size 

While we hear of attacks on big corporations more often, small-medium enterprise targets are also common. A recent Internet Security Threat Report by Symantec reported a 78% increase in supply chain attacks in the SMB space. No companies are exempt.  

How Heartland Helps

To combat issues like ransomware, malware, spear-phishing, and social engineering, Heartland provides businesses with enterprise cybersecurity solutions. Our security solutions identify specific risks, prioritize remediation, and ensure your business is both secure and compliant. Contact Heartland today to learn more on how you can protect your data from today and tomorrow’s cyberthreats.