{"id":58535,"date":"2018-01-05T16:21:18","date_gmt":"2018-01-05T22:21:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pcmatic.com\/blog\/?p=58535"},"modified":"2018-01-05T16:23:02","modified_gmt":"2018-01-05T22:23:02","slug":"2017-cyber-security-threats-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pcmatic.com\/blog\/2017-cyber-security-threats-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Top Cyber Threats of 2017 & Tips to Stay Safe in 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2017 Global Threat Intelligence Report<\/a> (GTIR) broke down the cyber security threats the world faced last year.\u00a0 Not only will we discuss some key features, but also ways to mitigate each threat.<\/p>\n

73% of Malware Attacks were Distributed via Phishing Attacks<\/h4>\n

Emails with malicious intent, or phishing emails, proved to be the method of malware distribution in 2017.\u00a0 The risk of falling victim to phishing has been a well-covered topic, but mitigating the risk is still a struggle.\u00a0 Cyber criminals are using this distribution method for two primary reasons.<\/p>\n

First, human error.\u00a0 Individuals tend to click without thinking.\u00a0 Users often don’t read what they’re clicking on, or read what they’re accepting.\u00a0 There lies the problem.\u00a0 People receive emails saying they need to open an invoice, receipt, tracking code, etc. and they do it without checking the legitimacy of the email.<\/p>\n

Second, malware variants change every hour, in some cases, every few minutes.\u00a0 Therefore, security solutions using a traditional blacklist approach will not catch these unknown variants.\u00a0 If you put those two together, you have a human who is willing to download or approve just about anything, and a security solution that won’t catch it.\u00a0 It’s the perfect storm.<\/p>\n

But, there’s a way to stop it.\u00a0 First, is cyber security awareness training for all users.\u00a0 Second, use a security solution that implements an automated whitelist technology<\/a>.\u00a0 The whitelist will only allow known trust programs to execute, and block all unknown files.\u00a0 By implementing both, phishing attacks will be significantly less likely.<\/p>\n

Adobe, Java and Internet Explorer Targeted by Cyber Criminals<\/h4>\n

According to the GTIR<\/a>, the three technologies targeted most by hackers were Adobe, Java and Internet Explorer.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Because they’re known to not be updated in a timely fashion.\u00a0 The fix?\u00a0 Find a security solution<\/a> or patch management service<\/a> that automates the updating process.\u00a0 Therefore, once an update is available, it is done automatically.\u00a0 This will patch any security vulnerabilities found in the previous version, closing the open doors left open for hackers.<\/p>\n

77% of all Ransomware was Within Four Industries<\/h4>\n

The GTIR<\/a>\u00a0also reported over three-quarters of 2017’s ransomware attacks that took place throughout the globe, hit four major industries.\u00a0 Twenty-eight percent hit the business and professional services industry, 19% hit government agencies, and the remaining 30% was split evenly between the retail and healthcare industries.<\/p>\n

Last year, ransomware damage costs were expected to exceed $5 billion worldwide<\/a>.\u00a0 This includes costs associated with ransom payments, company downtime, lost productivity, reputation damage, and remediation costs.<\/p>\n

With primary sectors, such as the government and healthcare industries, being targeted, and the hefty price tag associated with these attacks, prevention has never been more critical.\u00a0 To properly prevent malicious cyber attacks, such as ransomware, users must do the following:<\/p>\n