Common Cyber Threats To Be Aware of in 2024 For Businesses

2024 has, so far, been a huge year for cybersecurity.

This year, there have been cyber threats aimed at businesses ranging from Microsoft to Ticketmaster. In no uncertain terms, this means that cybercriminals are getting a lot smarter!

When it comes to protecting your business’s online platform, you need to be aware of what the most common threats are likely to be. Of course, you should opt to have an assessment of your business’s online security system to make sure no loopholes or potential points of entry from criminals.

So, read on to learn about the most likely threats you may face in the second half of 2024. 

Ransomware

Ransomware is usually sent to businesses via phishing emails. You may be asked to follow a link that will then download the software and unleash the data-grabbing viruses on your server.

Why is it called ransomware? Well, the people who use it often extort money out of companies in exchange for not using the data that they have seized. Luckily, there are many ways to protect your business against ransomware; having strong firewalls and antivirus software set up is the obvious starting point. However, depending on the size of your business, you may want to look into threat hunting software, which will alert you to emails containing potential ransomware.

Phishing Attacks

Many people have received an email that alleges to be a company that it isn’t and as such, most email spam filters remove these emails from the main inbox. The aim of these emails is to get the recipient to release sensitive information.

In 2024, artificial intelligence is being used to create personalized emails, which may be sent to a business email account bearing the name of the owner or manager, making it appear more genuine. If, however, you notice that you receive an email asking for bank details or other financial information, do not respond to it!

Denial-of-Service (DoS) and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attacks

What makes a DoS or DDoS attack different from the other cyber threats on this list is that the aim is to overwhelm a system, network, or even a website with traffic, which would make the site inaccessible. This drives down sales or people being able to access services, causing a business to lose money. One way to prevent such an attack is to have a server that is protected, as well as a security system that will shut your website down on its own once a set amount of traffic has been received, indicating a DoS or DDoS attack, while also alerting you at the same time. This will allow you to deal with the issue and then open up your site to sales or services promptly, driving up revenue.

Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attacks

If you have an online business, chances are you send emails every day to clients, customers, and supplies. A man-in-the-middle attack will aim to intercept and change communication between two parties, with the aim of gaining access to sensitive information. Luckily, many email accounts are built with security systems to check for these attacks and will alert you should they occur.

SQL Injection

If someone wants to gain unauthorized access to a database that your website may have, they may use an SQL code. This involves inserting code into a query input to the system, allowing access to the data and, of course, any information held in the database.

So, make sure that your websites are secured against such attacks by having an alert system in place, which will send an email or message when such an attempt occurs.