The number of cyber-attacks on New York businesses is on the rise. Ransomware, malware, data breaches, email phishing, and other cyber threats all pose a risk. Businesses which don’t take proactive steps to protect their networks and data from cyber threats are at significantly higher risk. In this article, we’re going to cover some of the precautions we take for our managed IT services clients to ensure their businesses are protected. You’ll learn about the biggest cyber security threats for New York businesses and how to safeguard against them.
Unfortunately, there is no such thing as being “too small” to be a target for cybercriminals. Even start-ups can be targeted by ransomware or hacking attempts. Successful cyberattacks can cost New York businesses a lot to recover from. Not only does their network need to be repaired, but if their customer data is leaked, they will gain a poor reputation and may even be fined under the NYS Information Security Breach and Notification Act. Recovering from a cyberattack can be too much for some businesses. In fact, over half of all SMEs go out of business within 6 months of a major data breach or cyber-attack.
It is far more effective to proactively protect your network, either through in-house cybersecurity expertise or by partnering with a managed IT support and New York cybersecurity provider like us. You can book a call with a member of our cybersecurity team today, or read on and learn more about how we protect our clients.
Top 6 Types of Cyber Attacks on New York Businesses
- Email Domain Hijacking
If not properly protected, hackers can take control of your email domain and use it to trick your customers and suppliers. This can cause long-lasting reputational damage, even after the attack itself has been dealt with. - Brute Force Attack
Brute force attacks enter thousands of passwords in a short period of time in the hopes that one of the attempts will be correct. All potential passwords are tried until the right one is discovered. - Ransomware Attack
Ransomware encrypts your data and will not let you access it unless you pay the attacker a ransom in cryptocurrency. If your business relies on data, a ransomware attack can make it impossible for you to continue doing business. There are several ways a ransomware attack can occur, but they are most often carried out via email. - DDoS Attack
A distributed denial of service attack (DDoS) involves overloading a server with multiple fake connections at once. This type of attack can make an online service, website, or network unusable. - Phishing attack
In a phishing scam, the hacker generally uses an email that appears to be a genuine contact but is actually trying to trick you into either downloading malware, handing over sensitive information like passwords, or clicking on a malicious link. - Impersonation/Remote Attacks
When you have team members working remotely, you need to be sure of exactly who is accessing your network. Without verifying their identity, they could be a hacker posing as an employee to gain access to your data.
How To Prevent Cyber Attacks On Your New York Business
We recommend that any New York business that is serious about preventing cyber-attacks should partner with a managed IT provider like us. However, there are some steps which every business can take, whether they have access to professional cybersecurity services or not.
- Keep your software up to date
Many cyber-attacks on New York businesses occur because parts of the business’s network are out of date and no longer protected. You should ensure that all your software is updated to the latest version and that hardware is replaced once it falls out of its update cycle.
- Use strong passwords for accounts
Using a strong and unique password for every account is one of the best first lines of defence you can have to prevent cyber-attacks. We’d also recommend using a password manager to help store your passwords securely and having a comprehensive password policy to make sure all your team members are following good password habits.
- Don’t click on links in emails from unknown senders
Email is the number one method of attack for ransomware. Several cyber-attacks on New York businesses began with employees being tricked into opening links in emails from hackers. If you’re not 100% sure about a link, don’t click it.
- Install anti-virus software and keep it updated regularly
Anti-virus and ransomware protection software can help keep your network protected against attackers, but like all software, it needs to be updated regularly. There are thousands of new pieces of malware discovered every day, so unless your anti-virus is up to date, it will be unable to protect you against newer threats.
- Install a firewall
By blocking malicious or superfluous network traffic, firewalls defend your computer or network from cyber attacks. Additionally, firewalls can stop harmful software from connecting to a computer or network over the internet.
Need Professional Help With Your Cybersecurity?
We have a team of engineers, hardware specialists, remote IT support staff, account managers, and cybersecurity experts who are all on hand to ensure your business’s IT runs smoothly, efficiently, and securely. We’ve supplied cybersecurity and managed IT services to clients of all sizes across the city, and we have helped many New York businesses avoid cyber-attacks.
Our managed IT services contracts include advanced cybersecurity as standard, and we also supply business continuity and disaster recovery services to help you stay operational during a crisis.
Hopefully, this article has covered the basic of cybersecurity and has increased your awareness of some of the threats that New York businesses face from cyber-attack. If you want to find out more about our services, or are ready to get professional help with your cyber defences, speak to our team today.
