Threats for 2013

City of culture

With the year of 2013 being an important year to  this Legenderry city, it will be a year for businesses to be vigilant in their IT security and awareness of scammers and malicious attacks on companies IT systems and websites either to make money from scams and threats to companies.

Don’t let me scare you but it is like flying a fly to the world, that Legenderry is open to attacks from scammers and other forms of attacks, but if you are not prepared to be security aware you are FARE GAME to attack.

Targets

You and me and small businesses to multinationals, government departments and various organisations could be the targets for any Malware or other forms of attack on websites or systems. The criminal scammers will mainly target small and medium businesses due to being unaware of threats and have little education in information security and also naivety in anti virus will make it easier for them. 

Threats

Social engineering

Social engineering explained by Sophos 

Usually an email with link and attachment that could lure you into clicking on it and then the virus will be downloaded.

Malware which is software designed to corrupt or open systems to further attacked including stealing of data and vital information can be delivered by email and unwittingly staff could open them and release the malware on to company systems.

Dedicated Denial of Services

These are attacks on websites for large amounts of request for information ie, web page requests for millions of bot nets which overload the web page and causes it to crash. Possible target's could be Derry City Council site and the city of culture site and various others that could highlight the city.  

This type of attack is usually because of an issue with the company or government and carried out by crusaders hackers or military hackers.

Scams including Ransom ware

This can vary from fake sites looking to gather information for unethical mailing or business offer none existent services, or ransom ware is software downloaded to lock your device until you make a payment.   

Telephone Scammer

Contacting potential victims with a story about issues with their PC and getting them to log on and going to a site so that the scammer can access the victims PC to possibly getting their banking information.           

Keep up with the threats

Anti-virus is not the be all and end all of data security. 
The concept of Defence in Depth is securing your systems from the inside outwards to firewalls on the network and Internet facing end of you systems, also securing your desktops and Hard drives.

Updates of security software and other applications also patches for Operating Systems but if not required don’t up date.

Making the staff and management aware of threats and training in security awareness and policies is also an important factor too.

 

  

Once again I do hope all businesses in this Legenderry city prosper in the year of culture.