Hackers have been coming up with different ways of hacking, and it is time for you to know those techniques for you to be on the safe side. When you get to know their tricks, you will be able to keep yourself safe and be able to counter any malicious activity that may be planned against you.

Denial of service (DoS)

This attack is accomplished by hackers taking down servers or sites by flooding them with a lot of traffic. Hackers use Botnets – hundreds or thousands of maliciously controlled computers – to flood the target with so many requests that legitimate users cannot access the system.

Fake wireless access points

Always be careful when accessing wireless access points. You might end up getting into the hands a malicious actor. One technique that hackers use is to create a fake wireless access point. When you connect the hacker will get all your information. If you must use a public wireless access point you should use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) so that you can keep your data safe. A VPN will prevent someone from accessing to your phone or computer with your permission. It will also hide the IP address of your machine or phone from the public domain.

Key logger

A Key logger gives a report of what you type on your computer. It is a simple technique which can be quite harmful. Key loggers record all of your key sequences and keystrokes every time you use your keyboard. After recording it sends a report to the hacker and provides crucial information like username and passwords.  Hackers have used this technique to obtain usernames and passwords for online baking platforms in order to empty out bank accounts.

You could counter this through the use of virtual keyboards. You should consider using a virtual keyboard anytime you need to type any highly sensitive information.

Water hole attack

Water hole attacks are conducted by creating a fake website that looks just like a company’s real website. These websites have everything that the real version of the website has. If you accidentily access the fake website your login information will be captured without your knowledge! You will just get an error message that you entered your password incorrectly. Your username and password will be recorded and then you will be transferred to the real website so that it works the second time you try.

Be sure you learn about the latest developments as far as cyber security is concerned. You may want to enroll in cybersecurity training to know the best practices and be able to protect yourself from hackers.

Hackers know that many websites are not secure and are easy targets. In 2019 the number of hacked websites rose by 32 percent. This is alarming and shows how risky websites can be. Google believes that this number will continue to grow.

There are many different ways in which hackers can get into your website.

Uninstalled Security updates

The lack of essential updates to your website may put your site at risk. Always be on the safe side by making sure that you have updated your web server software, CMS, plugins, and all the software that is being used by your website.

Vulnerable themes and plugins

Some developers do not continue to maintain plugins and themes. These themes and plugins become obsolete when they are not updated regularly.

This is very dangerous and will likely lead to a website compromise. Be sure that all of your website components are actively being updated. If you see a theme or plugin that has not been updated for months, then you can assume that the developer is no longer supporting it. Be sure to remove it from your site!

Some free plugins are created by hackers who want you to install them on your website. The hackers use those installed plugins as an access point to your site. So be careful what you use on your website.

Shared hosting

Your site could be vulnerable when it is being hosted on shared hosting. Other websites that are hosted on the same server may not be patched and may be vulnerable to hackers. Hackers could use one of the vulnerable website to get into the server that is hosting your website. This risk can be mitigated by hosting providers through the isolation of resources within the server.

Passwords

Make sure that you change the default usernames and passwords in your site or your server. Some people forget to change the password and continue to use the default password. You need to create a strong password that is not easy to guess and is not predictable. Adding two-factor authentication is recommended.

Many organizations allow employees to carry some work home as the strategy increases productivity and provides more flexible schedules, among other advantages. However, working remotely introduces some cyber risks that threaten the organization’s cybersecurity posture. It is, therefore, necessary for every organization to be familiar with the different types of risks associated with remote working approaches before implementing such a move to reap its numerous benefits.

Home Setups are Often Insecure

In most cases, a home setup that features a network connection and devices used to access confidential corporate data may have insufficient security. For instance, it may lack a defense-in-depth approach such as the use of VPNs, antivirus solutions, firewalls, and intrusion prevention systems which are certainly used to secure an organization. Rarely will an enterprise enforce such security measures to protect important data and provide basic security in residential environments where employees might be working remotely. In effect, there is an increased possibility of a breach occurrence or compromise of authentications needed to access the company’s systems from home.

Employees tend to use several devices.

Employees frequently use more than one device when working from home to access important information or other work-related reasons. This complicates the implemented efforts for protecting data as every device used is a potential entry for system threats. For instance, the employee’s laptop may have sufficient security controls, but using an insecure smartphone may enable cybercriminals to compromise the organization’s cybersecurity posture. Users must observe predetermined security policies governing the use of personal devices to handle work-related tasks. If the policies are non-existent, an organization should create employee awareness to help them ensure that every device has some form of protection, including basic security measures like password mechanisms.  

Remote Working Leads to Increased Data-Sharing through the Internet

As compared to an office environment where employees use secured communication infrastructure and intranets to communicate and exchange information, work from home interactions are increasingly dependent on Internet connectivity. This is a huge risk since public Internets are insecure and often full of malicious actors. The connection used may contain several flaws that can be compromised to allow a cybercriminal to intercept every piece of data transmitted through the wide-area network. This calls for a more secure approach for communicating important information, and it may comprise using secured applications for file sharing, sending and receiving emails, or using secure VPNs.

Logistical Challenges Hamper IT Support

Like employees working on-site, remote workers often require the IT department’s support, specifically due to diverse security issues. Distance and logistical challenges may prevent the IT department from efficiently providing the required assistance. For example, if the internet connection is breached or during a cyberattack aimed at data theft, the IT support may not be able to prevent the attack remotely, and this challenge can lead to incidents with devastating consequences.

Tips to Enhance Cybersecurity for Work from Home

• Create a policy that requires remote workers to use company-issued devices
• In case employees are permitted to use their personal devices, ensure that the hardware is equipped with efficient security controls.
• Reduce the internet cyber risks through VPN use
• Train employee on basic security practices – protecting their devices, using complex passwords that should be changed regularly
• Develop and implement a disaster recovery and business continuity plan that will guide recovery efforts in case of a data breach on a remote workstation
• Purchase cybersecurity liability insurance to help in recovery in case of an incident