The internet is a beneficial tool, but it can be destructive. While it can provide people with the information or they need, it can also harm people, companies, and other entities.

Cyberattacks are expected to result in six trillion dollars of damage by the end of the year. As an entrepreneur, part of your duties is ensuring the customers’, the employees’, and the company’s data privacy is protected at all times.

This article will enumerate the most common risks your company could encounter online and what you can do to stop them:

Problem 1: Phishing Attacks

One of the most common online attacks happening now is phishing. It involves malicious emails, text messages, links, or phone calls, pretending to be a legitimate institution to steal sensitive information. Other scammers aim for people to click on their links to install their software or apps that steal the information from their data. This technique works so much because of how realistic the message and its form are.

How to Avoid It:

Do not immediately give personal information away or click on suspicious links. Always check the URL or the email address of the messages you receive. You can also double-check with the institution and confirm whether they indeed sent the message. Do not share your private details online.

Problem 2: Ransomware Attacks

Ransomware is a malware attack that infects a person’s computer. When a computer gets infected, the malware can lock up selected folders or the whole unit. The only way you can access your files back is to pay a ransom. Sometimes they might threaten the owner that they will release the files online in exchange for more money despite getting paid already.

How to Avoid:

Malware usually starts when you allow criminals to access your computer or phone. Phishing is a common means to do it, but there are many other ways to get into your files. To prevent it, you need to make your internet security stronger.

Using a VPN can help. That real-time protection and encryption can reduce your chances of falling victim to this scam. You also should stop clicking anything online, especially malicious ones.

Problem 3: Repeated Passwords

People who want to make their lives easier settle with one password to open all of their accounts. It does give added convenience, but it also comes with considerable risk. Once the criminal learns one password, it can immediately access the rest of your online accounts.

Weak passwords have been one of the biggest reasons for data breaches over the years, particularly the most common ones, such as the use of one’s birthday or generic words such as ‘password,’ ‘admin,’ or the number sequence of one, two, three, and so on.

How to Avoid:

Make your passwords strong as you can. Add symbols, numbers, big and small letters to make it complicated. If you need help remembering them, you can always utilize password manager programs to help you remember details, including card details, without giving them away to criminals. With the program’s help, you do not have to worry about the burden of remembering all passwords.

Conclusion

These three are only some of the most common online problems one can encounter. Whether you are an individual or representing a company, these things can happen, and you can fall victim to them. Do not wait for them to happen. Make sure you implement preventive measures to free yourself from all worries related to this.

Increasing cybersecurity also helps. My IT Central can provide you with tailored IT solutions, depending on what your business needs. We specialize in using IT as your competitive advantage, and we can offer services such as email phishing protection, document tracking, data web protection, and more. Schedule a free consultation today.