To ensure your network’s cybersecurity, you need to understand cyber threats. You must know about network security threats like ransomware, malware, and phishing attacks. Apart from these, you should also be familiar with the cybersecurity remediation technologies that can counter these threats.
Cyber threats are actions by hackers and other cybercriminals to gain unauthorized access to your files, network, and data. These actions often result in data breaches, fraud, denial of service, and many other harmful effects.
Cybersecurity education and cybersecurity remediation help organizations to checkmate threats against their cybersecurity architecture. Cybersecurity remediation is a step-by-step approach to identifying cyber threats and mitigating them before they cause a lot more harm to your network.
From malware to phishing attacks and ransomware, learn about the most significant cyber threats that should be countered with remediation technologies and strategies.
Why Do You Need Cybersecurity Remediation?
Cyber threats can severely harm organizations by causing them to lose customer data, customer trust, and vast amounts of money. If your company is on the stock market, your stock will most likely fall after a data breach. You risk getting penalized based on the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) or European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). You risk violating industry-specific regulations (like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
Customers might file lawsuits against you if anything happens to their personal data. In the end, you are frustrated. A great way to save time, money, and energy is to prevent these unfortunate aftereffects. The next best way is to learn about what you can do if any of these top cyber threats attacks you.
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Top Cyber Threats That Need Remediation Include
Top cyber threats that need remediation Include:
- Malware
- Ransomware
- Phishing attacks
- Computer viruses
- Advanced persistent threats (APT)
1. Malware Attacks
The average cost of a malware attack on a company is $2.6 million. Attackers create and use malicious codes (malware) to gain access to networks and steal or destroy data. They usually come from website downloads, opening spam emails, or connecting to infected devices. They’re devastating to businesses because they can ruin devices, causing them to need extensive repairs or replacement. They can also give hackers a back door to access data, putting your employees and customers at risk.
Malware Remediation
Malware can cause extensive damage to your network, so you should mitigate it as soon as you discover it in your network. The first step in malware remediation is to identify the malware, then remove it before further damage is caused.
Here are the steps to carry out malware remediation:
- Recognize malware symptoms.
- Quarantine the infected systems.
- Disable System Restore/Recovery mode.
- Schedule scans and run updates.
- Enable System Restore/System Recovery.
- Educate your employees/team.
2. Ransomware Attacks
Ransomware, one of the commonest cyberattacks, hits lots of businesses every year. They’re one of the most lucrative forms of cybercrimes. In ransomware, the cybercriminal encrypts your company’s data or prevents you from accessing your network. Then, they ask you to pay vast sums of money, usually in bitcoin, or lose your data and services. In 2020, 51 percent of organizations experienced ransomware attacks with an average ransom demand of $178,000.
Ransomware Remediation
Ransomware attacks cause panic, and your first instinct might be to send the money. But don’t panic. Assess the situation and carry out ransomware remediation to mitigate the ransomware attacks.
Here’s how you can take back control after a ransomware attack:
- Read the ransom note carefully but don’t pay any ransom.
- Check with your IT team to see if your data is already backed up.
- Install a security product, scan your system and mitigate all ransomware.
- Carry out a complete system restore to an earlier restore point.
- Protect your devices with anti-ransomware products.
- Backup all future data in secure cloud storage.
3. Phishing Attacks
According to CSO Online, phishing attacks cause more than 80 percent of reported security incidents. And $17,700 is lost every minute due to a phishing attack. In phishing attacks, the cyber criminal pretends to be a trusted contact and convinces you to click a malicious link, download a malicious file, or give them access to sensitive information. Phishing attackers use social engineering to target people rather than targeting vulnerabilities in the network.
Phishing Remediation
Phishing attacks can be very disorienting because the attackers mess with your feelings. Here are the steps to carry out phishing remediation and prevent further damage:
- Contact your IT team immediately to ascertain the damage.
- In case of a data breach, contain the breach, notify authorities and those affected.
- If it’s a credit card fraud, call the credit card company and those affected immediately.
- To prevent further attacks, install an email security gateway.
- Also, install phishing protection solutions to delete future phishing emails.
- Educate your employees on how to identify and report phishing attacks.
4. Computer Viruses
Statistics show that approximately 33 percent of household computers are affected by malware, more than half of which are viruses. These viruses attack your system, and sometimes, they lay dormant until a timer or event activates them. Then, they replicate and infect your network by exploiting the vulnerabilities in your software.
Computer Viruses Remediation
Many computer owners have experienced a virus at one time or another. This is why you should scan devices before you let them into your network. You should also scan files before you receive them from other devices.
Here’s how you can rid your computer/network of viruses:
- Install an updated antivirus.
- Disconnect from the internet.
- Reboot your system into safe mode.
- Scan your devices with the antivirus.
- Quarantine or Delete the virus.
- Install a firewall to block external access to your network.
- Recognize threats and contain them before they can inflict damage.
- Connect your antivirus software to all networked devices and systems.
5. Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs)
Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) are cyberattacks that enable hackers to penetrate a network undetected. APTs are never carried out in a hurry. The attacker gains access to your network and lies low in your system till it’s hot to strike. Many APT attacks are motivated by financial gain. But some are aimed at stealing critical security information from you.
APT cybercriminals use malware, exploit kits, and other methods to sneak past your network firewall. Then, they wait till they discover the login credentials or additional sensitive information. Armed with these, they infect other parts of your system and compromise as much data as they can.
APT Remediation
The cybercriminals involved in APTs are usually skilled and cunning. This makes their activities difficult to track. But there are a few ways you can identify them and remediate attacks:
- Look out for unusual patterns in network activity.
- Be suspicious about large amounts of data access.
- Segment your network to isolate essential data.
- Create application-specific policies to limit data access to only authorized applications.
Closing Thoughts
With these top threats crippling businesses and corporations, it’s crucial for you to be fully aware of cybersecurity remediation. You can stay ahead of malicious actors by employing the remediation steps discussed in this article.
Or, you can hire the services of cybersecurity experts to help you shore up your cyber defenses.
RSI Security is America’s premier compliance and cybersecurity provider dedicated to helping organizations achieve cybersecurity risk-management success. We’re here to help you mitigate risk and protect your data. We work with some of the world’s leading companies, institutions, and governments to ensure their information safety and compliance with applicable regulations.
To learn more about top cyber threats and how to mitigate them using cybersecurity remediation technologies, contact our experts at RSI Security today.
