Cyber threats are a significant and growing business risk for organizations of all sizes, across every industry. These attacks affect employee productivity, customer loyalty, and company reputation – and can lead to costly legal and operational consequences.
Threats can take many forms: Data breaches, phishing attacks, malware, and hacking are common examples. A data breach occurs when unauthorized individuals gain access to sensitive information, including personal and financial data such as credit card numbers and bank accounts, or intellectual property like source code. These attacks can cost businesses millions of dollars in fines, lost revenue, and damaged relationships with customers and partners.
Malware is any software program that exploits or damages a computer system, and includes viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware, adware, and ransomware. Malware attacks are among the most common cyber threats, resulting in the loss of confidential information and compromised system security. A recent cyberattack on shipping firm CMA CGM, for example, caused the firm to lose control of its servers and prevented employees from accessing work systems.
Some attackers are looking for money or information, such as credit card or personally identifiable information (PII), while others want to disrupt critical infrastructure like gas pipelines and power grids. And some are simply seeking notoriety in the hacker community or revenge. With e-commerce, remote collaboration, and cloud data storage becoming essential to modern life, it’s critical that businesses adopt robust cybersecurity measures to ensure the safety of these services and their users.