Unfortunately, cyber crime is rising in the United States and around the world. Small and mid-sized businesses are often targets for cyber criminals. It is important to be aware of the most common threats that companies face from cyber attackers. At Rize Technologies, we provide comprehensive cybersecurity services and solutions to law firms of all sizes. In this article, you will find an overview of the top cybersecurity threats that business owners face in 2022.
The Top Five Cybersecurity Threats That You Need to Know About
1.Phishing and Spear Phishing
Phishing is the most common type of cyber attack. By some measures, phishing (and spear phishing) account for 80% of all cyber crime in the United States. As defined by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), “phishing” is an illicit attempt to gain sensitive information—a password, a bank account number, etc.—during which the “perpetrator masquerades as a legitimate business or reputable person.” While phishing is often a broad attack on a large number of businesses, its close cousin spear phishing is a more targeted attack at one specific business. Typically, spear phishing involves a more comprehensive plan by the criminal.
2.Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS)
A distributed denial or service (DDOS) attack is a cyber attack aimed directly at computers, servers, and the network. In effect, a DDOS attack can overload the system and make the network unavailable. A DDOS attack is no small matter. The average cost is reportedly somewhere between $20,000 and $40,000.
3.Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) Attacks
A man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack is a type of cyber crime in which the attacker (criminal) attempts to position themselves between the end-user (you and your team) and a third party application. Put another way, an MITM attack is a form of technological eavesdropping.
4.Malware
Malware can cause serious harm to your computers, your computer system, and your network. Most often, malware attackers try to “trick” end-users into downloading harmful software. That malicious software is then used to carry out some form of cyber crime. Notably, many malware attacks are now conducted as so-called ‘drive-by’ attacks. With a drive-by attack, a malicious script will try to download a harmful file or application without your consent.
5.Password Attacks
Password protection is a key aspect of effective cybersecurity. Attackers often try to gain access to passwords so that they can get into the system through the front door. In 2021, The New York Times reported that the New York City Law Department had to take its entire system offline because of a cyber attack that started as a password breach.
We Provide Cybersecurity Solutions to Law Firms of All Sizes
At Rize Technologies, we provide reliable and comprehensive IT support to law firms—with close attention paid to cybersecurity. If you have any questions about the top cybersecurity threats facing law firms, we are here to help you put the right system in place. To learn more about how we can help your firm proactively address cybersecurity threats, please do not hesitate to contact us today.