7 Types of Cyber Threats That Every SME Should Know

If you run a business, you need a website. Today's technology makes getting started very easy. A website is a very valuable asset for your brand, unlike a Facebook page, which could be closed at any time and for any reason. A web page is a place where your clients can find the answers to all their questions, they can even discover how to get to your physical location. And if your website is totally focused on your business, it is important that you know what computer threats you may encounter and what type of maintenance you should carry out.

According to Kaspersky Lab, 60% of SMEs disappear quickly more than six months after receiving a cyber attack. It's easy to see why: Exposing sensitive information can damage trust with users.

The best of all? You don't need a large budget to adequately protect your website against computer threats. But you do need a proactive approach to check the security of your website and implement measures to prevent them.

7 Types of Common Computer Threats

Web security covers a wide repertoire of attacks and solutions, but here are the seven most common computer threats:

1. Malware.
2. SQL injection.
3. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS).
4. Interception
5. Password attacks.
6. DDoS attack.
7. Incorrect security settings.

While there are other computer threats that can affect the security of your website, protecting your page against these seven types of cybersecurity vulnerabilities will help you stay on the right track.

1. Malware

Malware is malicious software designed to infect and damage a system. Since it is a broad term, malware encompasses vulnerabilities ranging from computer viruses to adware that can infect both computers and web pages. A website attacked by malware exposes sensitive data, including your customers' information.

Malware attacks can be very damaging for businesses, especially those that are unable to recognize them.

2. SQL Injection

Vulnerabilities often occur when a page contains a security flaw in the code that allows those with malicious intent to attack or gain control. This is commonly caused by problems in outdated WordPress plugins or other tools used on your website.

SQL Injection is a type of cyber attack that involves malicious SQL statements or application code being injected into user input fields. This process allows attackers to gain access to the web backend or corrupted content in the database.

3. Cross-site Scripting (XSS)

This type of vulnerability, also called XSS, is another of the common types of computer threats that your website can suffer. Unlike SQL Injection, XSS occurs when lines of malicious JavaScript code are injected into a page to target users of that website, manipulating client-side scripts.

These scripts hijack user sessions via a web page's search bar or comments (via the backend). This can disrupt the web and redirect users to other malicious pages that may appear as seemingly normal-looking pages, but may actually steal your information.

4. Interception

An Interception attack occurs when a hacker captures data that users send to a website, and then uses it for their own benefit. It can be contact information or sensitive data like a credit card. Cybercriminals then sell this data or make their own purchases.

It is important to install an SSL certificate on your website to protect confidential data.

SSL encrypts the connections between the visitor's browser and the web server, to establish a secure session. This protects buyers from cyberattacks, such as by Interception.

So, does your website need an SSL certificate even if you don't sell online? The answer is yes.

5. Password Attacks

Some hackers guess passwords or use dictionary tools and programs to try different combinations until they find them.

In some cases, the keylogger is also used to gain access to user accounts. The keylogger recognizes every keystroke made by a user. The results are communicated back to the hackers who initially installed these programs.

Many websites lack strong passwords, making login attempts incredibly easy. Here are some ways to protect your website:

• Request a strong and unique combination of passwords.
• Ask users to change their passwords regularly.
• Requires two-step authentication to confirm user access.

6. DDoS Attack

A distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack occurs when a web server receives a lot of traffic or requests that the system is overloaded or flooded.

This is fake traffic from computers controlled by attackers, often called botnets. A botnet is a number of devices connected to the Internet that run one or more bots.

When the webserver is overloaded with traffic or requests, the web loads poorly or fails to load. With enough force behind these attacks, the web server can crash, completely disabling the page.

7. Incorrect Security Settings

This attack occurs when the security configurations of a website have security holes that can lead to various vulnerabilities. This often occurs due to a lack of proper maintenance of your page or improper configuration of the web application.

Incorrect security settings allow hackers to access private data or web functions that can completely compromise the system. In these situations, the data can also be stolen or modified.

Final Thoughts on Cyber Threats

Spending time learning about the most common vulnerabilities in web security is an important first step in defending your company's website. The second step is to take action, make changes, and install total security software to protect your data and that of your customers.