The top 7 cyber threats that small businesses face are not as easy to detect as you think. This article is designed to alert you to the most common threats in the age of AI, and support you with the information you need to protect yourself and your business from cyber threats online.
Phishing Attacks
Phishing is one of the biggest threats, where hackers attempt to trick victims into revealing sensitive information like login credentials or financial details through fraudulent emails, texts, or websites masquerading as legitimate sources.134 Phishing attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, leveraging techniques like social engineering and machine learning to craft highly convincing messages.4
Malware
Malware, including viruses, worms, trojans, and ransomware, is malicious software designed to gain unauthorized access, disrupt operations, or extract sensitive data from systems.13 Malware can be spread through infected email attachments, downloads, or compromised websites.
Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks
DoS attacks aim to overwhelm systems, servers, or networks with a flood of internet traffic, rendering them unavailable or crashing the service for legitimate users.13 These attacks can cause significant disruptions and financial losses for businesses.
SQL Injection Attacks
SQL injection attacks exploit vulnerabilities in web applications by inserting malicious code into entry fields to gain unauthorized access to databases and extract or manipulate sensitive data.13
Insider Threats
Insider threats come from within an organization, where current or former employees, contractors, or partners with legitimate access misuse their privileges, either intentionally or unintentionally, to cause harm or data breaches.12
Cloud Vulnerabilities
As more businesses migrate to cloud services, vulnerabilities like misconfiguration, poor access control, shared tenancy issues, and insecure APIs can expose sensitive data and systems to cyber threats.4
Mobile Attacks
With the widespread use of smartphones for personal and business purposes, mobile devices are increasingly targeted by threats like phishing via text messages, spyware, malicious apps, and unsecured Wi-Fi networks.4 Businesses and individuals must remain vigilant, implement robust cybersecurity measures, regularly update software and systems, provide employee training, and consider seeking professional cybersecurity services to mitigate these ever-evolving cyber threats effectively.
