Online attackers exploit bugs that are a kind of software vulnerability. Despite efforts, attackers are still able to penetrate within the systems of reputed firms too – Even Google and Facebook have suffered the wrath of hackers. The worst ways in which attackers target businesses and users on IoT devices are;
- Malware
- Phishing
- Spear phishing
- Drive-by
- Ransomware
- Password hacking
More than the sophistication of unethical hackers, such attacks indicate the weakness of a company in adopting the right security techniques. Also, sometimes, despite management, attackers are able to release malware in a network. It is the damage-control preparation that comes to the rescue in such cases. The extent of loss depends upon the alertness of the response team in such cases.
4 Best Ways To Reduce such threats and also limit the damage in the case of a security breach are given below.
- Basic Protection
Basic protection for IoT devices include;
- Securing them with a strong password
- Installing a firewall to protect the network
- Using antivirus to detect and flag hidden viruses
- MFA Authentication
MFA authentication technique is gaining popularity because it makes a system more secure. When enabled, the user can get access to an app or system only after successfully passing several stages of identification. Some of the most advanced ways include using biometrics as one of the classification stages.
- Network Segmentation
It is very effective when a company is facing a malware threat. Since the sensitive information is the company is stored in multiple networks – each network is independent and has its own security layers – hackers cannot attack the entire company at once.
However, if the response team is less aware and fails to identify the malware infiltration in its initial stages, hackers can send malware-laced emails to employees. As soon an employee from a different network will open the malicious link, another network will be hacked. Thus, the few things that can intensify or minimize the damage include;
- The response of the security team
- Awareness of employees to identify suspicious emails
- Strength and uniqueness of the password you use for different networks
- Employees Awareness
More than half the cases of malware introduction in a network are done at the hands of unaware employees. Thus, educate them to be more careful.
- They should not use their system to access websites or emails out of work
- They should not entertain emails that have a missing Subject Line or Subject Matter
- They should scan a doubtful URL in a trusted URL scanner before clicking on it to ensure there are no hidden threats