9 Major Cyber Threat Categories and How to Protect Against Them

A threat is considered any malicious software or attack attempt launched at a vulnerability or weakness in your network infrastructure. There are nine major threat categories affecting most organizations today. They are:

• Human error. This is the most common source of cyber threats. Most of these are social engineering attacks that play on the emotional state of endpoint users within the network’s infrastructure. Phishing is a prime example.
• Unauthorized access. Hackers constantly use the latest techniques, tactics, and tips to infiltrate networks. These unauthorized users can potentially wreak havoc on internal infrastructure if they successfully bypass cybersecurity measures. Endpoint user error can also allow unauthorized access to the network through clicking a malicious link or opening an infectious file.  
• Unauthorized users misusing data. Once inside, threat actors, unscrupulous employees, or employees without the proper knowledge of cybersecurity best practices may change, remove, or misuse data without proper approval or authorization.
• Data breaches and leaks. Hackers, incorrect cloud configurations, and careless endpoint users can all lead to data breaches or leaks. If sensitive data like personally identifiable information is leaked, this could be potentially catastrophic for your business. Depending on your industry, the breach could land you in legal trouble – potentially owing large sums of money in fines or sanctions. Data loss prevention investment is essential to mitigate or avoid these consequences.
• Loss or corruption of data. If hackers successfully execute a data breach or your backup and disaster recovery (BDR) processes aren’t up to par, it could result in significant data loss or corruption. 
• Service disruption. In business, time is money. Any downtime for your system could cost future business and current revenue. Whether the downtime was accidental or intentional, service disruption costs you both money and reputation.
• System failure. Digital threat actors may try to overwhelm and crash a system rather than send a malicious file or link. Any system failure, much like service disruption, can cause data loss or a costly pause in business operations.
• Weather events or natural disasters. Natural disasters can cause significant damage and outages to critical server hardware and cloud resources. Fortunately, cloud technology alleviates this risk since business owners can migrate their important digital assets to cloud storage out of harm’s way.
• Adversarial threats. These threats include any outside actors who maliciously and intentionally attack your systems. They can be perpetrated by hacker groups, unauthorized users, unscrupulous inside users, careless endpoint users, and more. 

Cybersecurity risk management can help your organization

Cybersecurity risk management is an ongoing process of identifying, analyzing, evaluating, and addressing your organization’s cybersecurity threats. Your systems can be compromised in several ways, and, unfortunately, that list continues to grow. Effective cybersecurity risk management is about adopting an attitude of – “it’s not a matter of ‘if’ your networks get compromised; it’s a matter of ‘when.’”

How cybersecurity risk management works

While every business is different, there are general steps that can help organizations align to cybersecurity and risk management best practices. Professionals agree on four main stages of a sound cybersecurity risk management plan:

1. Identification – gauge the ability of your organization to identify current or future cyber threats. Call out and inventory any loopholes or vulnerabilities to the digital infrastructure that could affect daily business operations.
2. Assessment – Once risks are identified, they should be evaluated to see the level of threat they pose to your business. You and your team should also consider the potential impact of each identified threat.
3. Control – Suggest tools, techniques, tips, and technology that can be used to help you and your team minimize your organization’s cybersecurity risk.
4. Review – Take time to constantly review, update, and improve your controls to mitigate your cybersecurity risk. Adding, removing, or recalibrating security protocols will improve the system over time.

Getting started with cybersecurity risk management

One of the simplest ways to get started with cybersecurity risk management is to choose the right partner, and Yeo & Yeo Technology is here to help. We can help you choose the best tools for your business model and your team. Get in touch.

Information used in this article was provided by our partners at ConnectWise.