25 Jan Why do You Need Information Security for Your Business?

We live in a world where the lines between the virtual and real world have blurred. For a majority of companies now, their businesses depend on what they do online. Unfortunately, in a bid to win the virtual marketplace, many businesses fail to realize that the internet is basically a public space and that their sensitive information and data must be secured.

There is a reason information security is stressed upon. If your information is compromised, an online attacker could have access to anything – right from your business details, personal information, and confidential data on your network to sensitive customer data.

Big organizations have separate departments that monitor cyber threats but small and mid-size businesses either don’t have the budget to invest in information security or don’t understand the risks. While a few vulnerabilities are caused by untrained employees, outdated equipment, or unprotected networks, other times it’s the lack of proper security infrastructure in place.

A data breach could do incalculable harm to your company’s image, expose secrets, affect business plans, and might even mean the end of your business.

If you’re not aware, your business could be a victim to any or many of the below-listed cyber-attacks:

1. Phishing

Commonly used for identity theft and banking information, phishing acquires personal data when someone clicks malicious links in emails.

2. Malware

Malware attacks software with malicious codes. It causes damage to devices or data on a network.

3. Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks 

MitM attacks use eavesdropping as a method to get planted into a two-party transaction. They interrupting the traffic to filter and steal data.

4. Denial-of-Service attack (DoS)

This attack floods servers, networks, or systems with traffic to exhaust bandwidth and other resources. This causes systems to become incapable of fulfilling requests.

5. Structured Query Language (SQL) injection

An SQL injection inserts a malicious code and forces the server to use SQL to reveal information. SQL injections cause severe damage and are capable of stealing highly critical data and information.

6. DNS Tunneling

DNS requests can be manipulated to extract data from a compromised system. They can also be used to control or command callbacks to a compromised system from the attacker’s infrastructure.

7. Zero-day exploit

This hits after a tech company announces network vulnerability before a patch or solution is scheduled to be implemented in a given window of time.

So, what can companies do to protect themselves from data breaches? How can Information Security help them?

Information security, also known as Infosec, is an important pillar of cybersecurity. It prevents unauthorized access, disruption, disclosure, inspection, modification, destruction, or recording of information.

The three tenets of information security are:

Confidentiality – Making sure that private information can only be accessed by employees for completing their job duties.

Integrity – Protection from unauthorized data modifications.

Availability – Restricting data availability with time.

Do try to find out if your business is a potential target for hackers and take the necessary measures to prevent a cyber attack.