It is looking like the world is reeling from this as endpoint security and security strategies are having a hard time. Cyber criminals are constantly slipping through the net of the law, leaving many thinking about how many cyber criminals are actually caught.
It has been forecast that in 2022, the world information security market will be worth a gigantic $170.4 billion, according to a report published by Gartner.
This is truly amazing and concerning at the same time. It also reveals that the information security market will only get bigger as the world moves forward. This begs the question, are we going to be 100% protected from cyber attacks?
The immediate answer is no. But we can always do better.
This is precisely what we will discuss in this post as we consider the possibility of being fully protected from cyber threats.
What are Cyber Attacks?
In a nutshell, a cyber attack is any activity that involves a computer, the internet, or telecommunication networks carried out with the intent of stealing, damaging, or corrupting data or disrupting everyday digital life for nefarious purposes.
The reasons for cyber attacks can be many, and they can be conducted by anyone. Some of the most common cyber crimes are given below:
- Malware Cyber Attacks
- Distributed Denial Of Service (DDoS) Attacks
- Phishing and Email Spoofing
- Identity Theft and Email Spamming
- Data Security Hacking and Breaches
- Stealing Of Access Credentials
- Ransomware Attacks
- Biometric Hacking
These are only a few of the most common cyber security attacks, but there are numerous others that happen globally. Although there are several types of cyber security tools, laws, and tips available to protect oneself and business from cyber security risks, they are not enough.
What Can One Do When There Is A Cyber Attack?
There is no doubt that cyber attacks are a lot more real and scarier than one might think. This makes actually dealing with them all the more complicated. Even if you have the best cyber security consultant and cyber securities at your disposal, it is still likely to be challenging.
However, many wonder, in the actual event of a cyber attack, what one can do? Are there any procedures to follow? What should one do to contain it? Is hunting cyber criminals possible? Why are cyber criminals so hard to catch? How many cyber criminals are caught a year? What are cyber criminals like today? And so on.
When you are a business, you might already have a set of rules and policies in place for dealing with cyber security threats. If not, then take note of the following steps you need to follow in the case of a cyber attack or breach.
1. Try to Contain the Security Breach
No matter what type of cyber attack you face, you must try to contain it. You may not have the time to call an expert and ask for help. Hence, you need to do whatever is necessary to contain the breach. While doing so, one must preserve adequate evidence of the attack so that the perpetrators behind the attack can be found and reprimanded.
However, this can only happen if evidence has been left behind.
Hence the most sensible thing to do during a cyber security attack is to contain it.
Finding out the number of servers compromised or attacked and disconnecting them from other networks to prevent the attack from continuing is the most sensible thing to do.
This will not only stop the cyber criminals from spreading their attack on to other networks and servers, but it will also help the business retain evidence that can be used by cyber forensics teams to find the people behind the attack.
Here is a list of things that you can do in the case of a cyber attack:
- Run all your cyber security systems and programs at full steam
- Install any security patches or updates
- Disable remote access from all your systems and networks immediately
- Change the access codes to servers and networks as quickly as possible
- Contact your cyber security specialist team and wait for their help
- Disconnect all your servers and network systems from the internet
These will help you not only protect your business from a prolonged attack but also keep any evidence intact so that your cyber security consultant can look into it.
2. Assess the Damage and Extent of the Breach
After containing the breach, one has to move on to the next most important thing—assessing it. A business needs to evaluate the damage caused by the attack in order to be able to take corrective measures immediately.
Although this is an essential aspect of preventing future cyber attacks, most businesses do not have the capacity or capability to do it all by themselves.
This is where a business can hire the help they need from managed security providers and digital forensics teams with adequate security strategies.
You can ask these questions to yourself to better understand the repercussions of these attacks more clearly:
- Where and how was the attack initiated?
- Which servers and networks were active during the attack?
- Who had access to the servers that were attacked?
These questions will point you in the right direction in assessing the situation and finding the perpetrators. This will also help your cyber security consultant.
3. Manage the Fallout from the Cyber Attacks
Another important thing that a business must do in the case of a cyber attack is to manage the fallout from it. It is essential to acknowledge what happened and alert everyone in the business.
The following are the three most important things to do in order to manage a cyber attack:
- Keep your managers and employees informed
- Inform your customers about the attack and any delay in service delivery
- Get your cyber liability provider notified of your breach quickly
Can We Be Protected from All Types of Cyber Attacks?
There are various means of protection available in the world to prevent oneself from cyber attacks. However, the question we need to ask is, are they enough?
Most of the information security management systems and cyber security risk assessment methods are designed to provide businesses with comprehensive protection from cyber attacks.
However, a user or a business has to create a conducive environment for the security systems and assessment methods to work in order to ensure its efficiency. One must be extremely careful while using the internet and reduce as many loopholes as possible for any potential cyber security compromises.
To be protected comprehensively from all kinds of cyber attacks, one needs to take care of these critical aspects.
Let’s try to understand what they are:
An Intelligent and Effective Cyber Security System
The most important component of any cyber security system, if one wants to keep the cyber threats away, is that the security system is intelligent. It has to be top-notch, scalable, and robust to offer you the help that you are looking for. If you can get a customised option that fits your business perfectly, it cannot get any better.
An Effective Decorum and Discipline Among Users
Most cyber attacks happen due to a careless act from the users of a system or a server. Avoiding such lapses is key to ensuring the efficiency of the security system that you already have. Even if you have the best security system in the world, if you leave your access codes for everyone to see, there is only so much that the system can do to prevent an unauthorized access. Hence, train your users well in security protocols and have an effective access-control system as part of the security.
A Well-Maintained and Updated Technology Infrastructure
Another essential part of ensuring an effective security system is to have a well-maintained technology infrastructure. Due to the very nature of cyber security, most leading security and technology companies release security updates and patches from time to time. Using these releases to update and patch any vulnerabilities is vital to bolstering the effectiveness of your overall cyber security system.
If a business can continuously take care of the aspects discussed above, most cyber attacks can be kept at bay.
Conclusion
It is reported by Cybint, that 95% of cyber security breaches are as a result of a human error. As responsible internet users, we need to avoid such vulnerabilities at any cost. This is why it is essential to for all internet and technology users to follow a strict line of protocols that will reduce the possibilities of cyber attacks.
Even then, 100% protection from cyber threats and attacks will not exist. But with the help of an experienced cyber security consultant, you can keep the majority of the threats away.
If you are looking for such a team, we at Gemraj Technologies Ltd can help you with that. We have been working in the cyber security field for a long time and have a team skilled and trained in all cyber threats. We can offer you intelligent cyber security strategies and cyber security risk assessment help, as and when you need it.
In addition to this, we can also offer you cyber security awareness training and cyber security risk management, all included in the same package. If you wish to protect your business and employees from cyber threats of any kind, then please get in touch with us.