Keeping Your Business Safe From Malware in 2023

With one billion pieces of malware out there, your business will likely be affected at some point. Worse still, some kinds of malware are challenging to recover from. It’s rarely as simple as deleting an infected file. The most destructive malware can be the hardest to tackle. Looking back, here are some of the most significant malware attacks of 2022.

At the top of the list is Emotet. Chances are you haven’t heard of it by that name, but it’s a trojan spread by spam email. It usually looks like a genuine email with familiar branding, but it tries to persuade the recipient to click a malicious link (using language like ‘your invoice’ or ‘payment details.’ It may also look like it’s from a parcel company). This malware goes through your contact list and sends itself to family, friends, colleagues, and clients. Then it looks less like spam because it’s come from your email account.

In the second position is LockBit. This ransomware is designed to block access to your files and systems when cybercriminals encrypt them. They ask you to pay a ransom for the decryption key (which often they still don’t hand over, even when you’ve paid). This targeted attack spreads itself once it infiltrates one network device. In fact, it can ‘live’ for weeks inside a network before the attack is launched.

In third place is Conti, another form of ransomware, and in the fourth position is Qbot, a trojan designed to steal banking information and passwords. It may all sound scary, but there’s plenty you can do to give your business greater protection from these threats:

• Keep your entire network and all devices updated.
• Don’t download suspicious attachments or click links unless you’re confident they’re genuine.
• Practice strong password hygiene, including using multi-factor authentication, password managers, biometrics, and Passkeys where available.
• Give your people access only to the systems and files they need.
• Remove ex-employees from your network immediately.
• Create and regularly check backups.
• Educate your people regularly.

Cybersecurity companies see attacks happening to every type of business, no matter how small. Thinking that you’re invulnerable to cyberattacks simply because you are not a nationwide franchise is dangerous. Apathy is one of the most dangerous things facing companies today, and cybersecurity companies know this. Your business should always be prepared to avoid a catastrophe.

If you’re unsure about your company’s safety, consider looking into cybersecurity companies like Yeo & Yeo Technology to help protect your network. From our customizable SIEM and SOC solutions to XDR and EDR security, we’re prepared to safeguard your company’s most important assets.

Information used in this article was provided by our partners at MSP Marketing Edge.