How companies can protect themselves from cyberattacks

Not so long ago, supercomputers, hackers and cyberattacks were a scenario of Hollywood movies rather than of business reality. Not anymore: Operating in an increasingly digitized environment, companies and individuals are being targeted by cyber criminals and need to stay alert to protect themselves.

Online shopping, mobile payment and other internet-based services can make our lives much easier: We communicate via e-mails, post pictures on social media and order goods online. But what we perceive as both a great relief and an opportunity for our professional and private life also carries a high risk. After gaining access to private information, the hacker can ransom the information, use it against competitors, or even sell it on the Dark Web. Sometimes hackers attack the integrity of a company and leak information to the public and influence them.

But how do they get access? According to a study completed by the technology security company Kaspersky, from 2016, most of the people who had their information stolen had received and interacted with fake e-mails, fake social media messages and fake websites. Phishing e-mails are the single most common entry point of cyberattacks. Phishing is a fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive personal or business-related data or to infect computers. Typically carried out by e-mail, anonymous cyber criminals aim to control devices, use them for illegal purposes or utilize a fake identity, for example to request an emergency bank transfer. The Kaspersky study also stated that the most commonly attacked accounts are e-mail and social media, which are twice as likely to be hacked as shopping or online bank accounts. Because all important personal information is linked to either e-mail or social media, that can spell out trouble for those who don’t practice cyber security.