What is a Cyber Attack?

A cyber attack is an attempt or an attack by the malicious intruder(s) capable of stealing data or manipulating data using single or multiple systems without authorization. Cybercriminals use various methodologies and techniques which include malware, phishing, ransomware, DoS and many more.

The Cyber-attacks may not necessarily be targeted on a person or any particular organization. The cyber-attacks can be very random or as well as targeted depending on the hit. Head turners over the years were WannaCry and NotPetya ransomware attacks in the past years. Phishing emails are the most common denominator method or most organizations.

Cyber Attacks in the UK

According to research, UK has faced an average of 1,46,491 attempted cyber-attacks in the mid-year of 2019. UK businesses are at great risk as this constitutes to one attack occurring every 50 seconds which is the highest level of attacks since 2016. Research says, it’s a 179% raise over the same time in the previous year.

Research also says, the impact with which the UK businesses, companies that are either a large organization or a start-up are under prolonged threat from the hackers all around the globe.

The cyber-attacks on those companies are indiscriminate, a harmful code that prowls the web trying to exploit vulnerabilities in the systems. It is as simple as; a single breach could be catastrophic to the affected companies.

File sharing services and remote IoT applications are proven to be highly susceptible targets for the cyber criminals. The most frequently targeted applications intrigued about 17, 737 and 10,192 attacks, according to research study.

British Airways breach was the talk of the town in the early months of 2019. The businesses are now keen on putting their money into evolving technology and tools to safeguard themselves from the rapidly emerging cyber threats and attacks.  These technologies are designed specifically to prevent attacks from happening but the biggest threat to cyber security is human error. Human error can be gradually minimized and eradicated only through proper training and spreading awareness on cyber security.

Cybersecurity – To err is Human

Every organization needs cybersecurity. For instance, the Aviation organizations are vulnerable as only 69% of their employees are given formal training according to a study. It’s a hard truth – Humans are the weakest link in the battle against cyber-attacks.

Having a handful of employees or resources trying to negotiate with the management on the seriousness of cybersecurity is equivalent to a person participating in a race and knowing the end-result that the odds are not on their side. The management of any sector belonging to any industry must consider cybersecurity as a priority for business continuity and to maintain reputation.

The GDPR solely holds the business accountable in case of data breaches. Cyber attacks are all over the news and in spite of those, any organization that stays unprotected and fails its customers puts an end to its value in the market.

An online application may seem sufficient for innumerable users to access and store their personal information. “How safe are your credentials and is the security on that application adequate?” Various new applications are surfacing on the internet such as gaming applications, e-Commerce applications, banking applications and many more which feeds on personal information of their users. Poor security or lack of security measures in the back-end of those applications attract hackers and make them a target.

Hackers mold themselves leaving us defenseless in most cases. Having been under the hackers’ spotlight once, the companies initiate to be prepared for further attacks.

Cyber attacks are not based on the size of the organization. It is driven by the vulnerabilities that the organization exposes itself over the Internet.

Cybersecurity shouldn’t be just a check-box for an organization. It is as vital as any other services that an organization has to offer its customers to sustain in the long run.

“Cybersecurity – Prevention is better than cure.”

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