The increased adaption of Internet-based services has opened the gates for cyber-crime. Cybersecurity is a major challenge especially for small businesses around the world. It is indeed threatening as loss of sensitive data can prove to be extremely harmful to promising startups. Web application designers have to ensure that the data a user entrusts, is actually Even a single insecure device can render an entire network redundant.

“There are only two types of companies: those that have been hacked, and those that will be”

-Robert Mueller, FBI Director, 2012

Cybersecurity is a never-ending battle. As you will be taking certain measures to protect your organization from known threats, attackers will constantly devise new methods to threaten your security. Several examples of cyber attack include loss of precious data and money due to unsafe transactions.

Challenges of CyberSecurity

The word hacker is always misinterpreted. The same tools that a network professional uses to test a network can also be used to breach others. Companies spend thousands of dollars to stay protected but any vulnerability can cause a lot of damage. We have compiled a list of cybersecurity challenges in 2018 that can prove to be a nightmare for promising startups and businesses.

1. Ransomware attacks: In 2017, HBO was threatened with having unveiled its most popular show, Game of Thrones’ unreleased episodes, for $6 million ransom. Ransomware attacks are one of the hottest trends in cybercrime industry. It is worst to pay the attacker for the services you own once he locks them for you.
2. Malware attacks: A malicious program that can propagate quickly and can cause devastating effects which can render your network useless within seconds. Wanna Cry is a ransomware malware with worm-like capabilities. It infected more than 300,000 windows computers around the world and encrypted all their data and demanded a ransom.
3. Blockchain Revolution: Bitcoin and Ethereum cryptocurrencies saw a tremendous boost in their market price. Firms and individuals rushed into mining bitcoin which is built upon blockchains. Attackers created worms and malwares that can spread over the internet and use computers of regular users for mining bitcoins.
4. Internet of Things (IoT) popularity: With the rapid innovation in machine learning, almost all digital appliances are being connected to the internet. From refrigerators to the smart home, IOT has brought a new challenge in network security. Most of these devices use an insecure web interface and the average person using them, lacks knowledge of security. This makes them vulnerable to cyber attacks.
5. The ‘Inside Job’: Many of the attacks on reputed organizations over the past decade have come not from any external entities, but the employees. Having access to valuable resources, an employee intentionally or mistakenly may leak sensitive data to third parties. Protection against these breaches is another challenge for business owners.

How to Win at CyberSecurity

Any network professional will tell you the key to win over the cyber-crimes is to always be prepared. Though some attacks are inevitable, implementing the following rules in your organization will prevent you from cyber-attacks to a great extent.

• Develop strict protocols for employees so that accessing sensitive data becomes impossible.
• Run cybersecurity drills time to time to test your employees and their responses when a real one occurs.
• Invest in IT consultancy services to assess your current networking infrastructure and working practices. IT experts will diagnose your systems for potential vulnerabilities and provide you with the latest security tools.
• Don’t assume anything, secure everything. From network devices to portable storage devices, like pen drives, don’t assume their safety. A malicious program can make its way from any possible vulnerable sources.
• Regularly hire trusted security companies that can perform a white-hat attack on your network to test its integrity and reliability.
• Keep up with the trends in cyber-crime so that you can protect yourself in advance.
• Use network intrusion detection system (NIDS) that can be deployed on your network to constantly monitor the traffic and detect suspicious behavior.
• Apart from hiring a dedicated network security service, you can also organize hackathons, bug bounty and other security events for your employees. It will not only help in detecting vulnerabilities but also provide job satisfaction with rewards for winners.
• If you have come under attack, analyze the root of the attack so that it can be secured from future attempts.
• Develop a practice to regularly back up your critical files and safeguard them so that you can overcome any attack easily.

Cybersecurity is not only a question of developing defensive technologies but offensive technologies as well.

-Donald Trump

With the rapidly evolving technology, cybersecurity has become the need of the hour. A Company may lose thousands of dollars if it takes security for granted. For startups, it has become necessary to plan security in advance to stay in the protected environment and thrive in the competition. The attackers are constantly finding new ways and if you don’t keep up with the trends, it is more likely that you will be their next victim.

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