Know the 7 Virtual Threats to Your Company's Data

The so-called virtual threats are increasingly common, mainly due to the large number of devices connected to the networks: PCs, notebooks, tablets, and smartphones are targets often targeted by criminals, who often form large criminal gangs and networks specializing in these types of crimes.

In this post, you will learn about the main forms of virtual attacks and some basic tips to help you protect the virtual data of your business and also your personal digital files.

7 Virtual Threats Are:

1.Ransomware

Ransomware (also known as rogueware or scareware) restricts access to your computer's system and asks for a ransom to be paid in order to remove the restriction.

Ransomware is as scary as the name itself. Hackers use this technique to block your devices and demand a ransom to give you back access. Ransomware puts you against the wall and therefore it is better to know what to do to avoid it.

Where does ransomware come from

Ransomware is created by scammers who know the computing area very well. It can enter your PC via an email attachment or through your browser if you have visited a website that is infected with this type of malware. It can also access your PC through its internet network.

How to recognize a ransomware

It is obvious when your device is infected with ransomware, as you will probably not be able to access your computer, and even if you do, you will see that all your files will be encrypted or corrupted.

 

Free ransomware removal tools

Download anti-ransomware tools for free. These tools remove ransomware viruses from your computer and decrypt any files that were encrypted in the attack. They also inform you about the types of ransomware and show you what they are like.

2.social engineering

Social engineering aims to trick people into providing their personal information, such as passwords and bank details, or even allowing access to their computers to secretly install malicious software. Criminals and fraudsters use social engineering because it is easier to trick someone into revealing their passwords than it is to hack a PC.

The most fragile link in any security chain is humans. Social engineering seeks to exploit this fragile link by calling for attacks that strike people's vanity, greed, curiosity, and altruism, or even the respect or fear they have of authorities causing them to reveal certain information or allow access to an IT system.

Where social engineering comes from

There are several social engineering techniques used by criminals. This includes bait (offering things you want to have as a way to get you to download a malicious file), phishing (a fraudulent email intended to trick you into sharing your personal information), excuse (intended to be someone else to have privileged access to your data) or scareware (makes you think your computer is infected with malware and then offers a solution that infects your PC).

How to recognize social engineering

Any warning, recommendation, or unsolicited help should be treated with caution, especially if it involves the need to click on a link, as this may be an attempt at social engineering. Likewise, any request for your password or financial data is undoubtedly a scam - legitimate institutions and companies will never ask for your password. What's more, always check the email address of any suspicious messages you receive to make sure it comes from a legitimate address.

3.Spam

Spam is an unsolicited message that promotes a service or product.

Like pop-ups, no one likes to receive spam emails and messages. And with the growth of social media, spam has used different attack channels, making your computer easy to be infected.

Where spam comes from

Spammers have traditionally sought to target email accounts, but nowadays spam can be found on blogs, instant messages, social media sites like Facebook, and cell phones.

How to recognize spam

Your device frequently receives unsolicited spam messages, usually in very large quantities. Spammers disguise themselves as marketers, friends, or family members.

4.Scam 

An internet scam is a term used to refer to different types of fraud being perpetrated online, or via internet services or software with access to the internet. Scammers (as the people who create these attacks are known) use malicious software, phishing or social engineering techniques to access personal information, usually for the purpose of stealing money from you.

There are several types of online scams, but they all have one thing in common: they are trying to trick you into giving out your personal information or making you pay money for something you will never receive. The most common types of Internet scams are emails like the famous Nigerian who wants to share his fortune with you, auction sites, Craig's List scams, dating sites, fake antivirus, "make money fast" and card scams pre-approved credit cards.

Where scams come from

So-called online scams can take the form of malicious software such as a virus or spyware, which is secretly downloaded to your computer as a way to steal your passwords and gain access to your bank account, or you can use phishing emails and social engineering to extort money from you.

How to Recognize a Scam

The best way to recognize a scam is to remember that old saying: "If it's too good to be true, it's probably not good." Many of the online scams will offer you what looks like a good money supply, all you need to do is make a small deposit to cover so-called processing fees. Scams that install malicious software on your computer will try to trick you into downloading files, such as a pop-up that says your computer has been infected by a virus, and to get rid of it, you just need to download a (fraudulent) program antivirus software.

5.Identity theft

Identity theft happens when someone takes some of your personal information, such as your social security number or ID card number, in order to impersonate you. In doing so, a thief can open accounts in your name and steal more than just money.

There are two types of identity theft. The first involves the use of your personal information by the thief to open accounts in your names, such as a credit card or cell phone.

In the second, the thief uses your information to gain access to your accounts and spend your money before you know something is wrong. The internet has made identity theft much easier. It is now much easier to access personal data and accumulate huge spending on online purchases.

How identity theft occurs

On the internet, thieves can use all manner of dishonest maneuver to gain access to your personal data. These include spreading viruses to infect your computer, sending phishing emails to trick you into revealing your passwords or other information, violating your online activities and typing, and even monitoring the network to capture your most personal and important data.

How to recognize when your identity has been stolen

Unfortunately, the first sign of credit card theft usually happens when you receive your first invoice or are notified that your account has been emptied. In complex schemes, fraudsters use their cell phone to call special high-cost numbers in other countries, receiving a commission from the operator of those numbers. In extreme, but increasingly common, cases, you may discover that you have become a victim of identity theft only when a collector knocks on your door complaining about payments for purchases you've never made.

6.Keylogger

Keylog refers to using software that records everything you type on your keyboard. The program then sends the log file to a specific server, where crooks can read any information you have added, including passwords, credit card numbers, instant messages, emails, email addresses, and website URLs.

Where the keylogger comes from

Keyloggers are a type of activity monitoring software that is installed on your computer without your knowledge. The most common ways to do this are through phishing, social engineering, attaching the keylogger to other software, or downloading it from file-sharing sites or installing it when you open an email attachment.

How to recognize a keylogger attack

Detecting a keylogger is difficult as they are meant to be hidden. But there are some signs to be identified, such as the browser getting slower than usual, "glued" mouse or keyboard or letters not appearing on the screen when keyed, or error messages appearing when accessing graphics or web pages.

7.Virus

A computer virus is a program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge or permission. Some viruses are merely irritating, but most viruses are destructive and designed to infect and control vulnerable systems. A virus can spread to multiple computers and networks by making copies of itself, just as a biological virus passes from one person to another.

Most people have heard of computer viruses and know that they can cause serious damage to our computers.

Viruses are usually hidden in a program used in common with others, such as a game or PDF, or you may receive an infected file attached to your email or from another file downloaded from the internet. As soon as you start interacting with the file (run the program, click on an attachment or open a file), the virus runs automatically. The code can copy itself to other files and make unwanted changes to your computer.

How to Prevent Attacks on Your Company's Data

Some measures can make cybercriminals' lives very difficult and protect their personal and work data. Are they:

• Have a well-configured network firewall between your company's network and the internet.
• Always use genuine software.
• Make sure that all software on your computer is up to date, including your operating system.
• Make sure that your computer's antivirus software and firewall are enabled and up to date.
• Avoid clicking on suspicious email attachments and links.
• Avoid opening unknown and / or suspicious addresses.
• When entering social networking sites, e-mail, financial services, government portals, and other services, make sure that the address is correct and that a padlock image appears before the site address in your internet browser.
• Avoid using hotspots and other free internet points.
• When out of the office always try to use a VPN to connect to your company's servers.

Business, customer, and partner data are confidential and extremely important information for any company, the theft or loss of this information can represent the loss of credibility and market and even the extinction of the company.