The digital and ‘real life’ are overlapping with each other more and more with each passing day. Scheduling a doctor’s appointment, banking, buying a car, and getting a degree are just some of the things you can now do through the internet. To date, there are over 3.5 billion internet users across the world. That is over half the human population, and that number is only growing with time.
This rise in internet use, however, has caused an explosion in digital threats. Viruses, ransomware, phishing, and data theft have all increased in frequency throughout the lifespan of the digital age. In 2018 alone, over 3.35 billion records were stolen. By 2021, cybercrime damages are estimated to reach $6 trillion annually.
Such attacks have been devastating to many businesses. Many companies experienced a fall from grace shortly after user data had been stolen from them. No matter how big or small your enterprise might be, current circumstances demand that you maintain a good level of digital threat intelligence to prevent this from happening.
It begins with understanding when and how you collect sensitive data
Sensitive information, such as addresses, financial details, and credit card numbers, must be collected and encrypted from the get-go. It should be protected from the moment it is obtained to the moment it rests in storage. Not only that, but it is important to provide protection at every step in between.
You have to train your employees
One of the biggest threats to any business or individual’s cybersecurity is phishing. Phishing is particularly prevalent because it targets the human element of the system through a series of cons. It is so effective that it is responsible for 95% of all attacks on enterprise networks.
As such, it is important that your employees have good digital threat intelligence. They must be able to identify the various dangers to your system and understand how to deal with them without risking their safety. After all, the human element should never be the weakest point in security.
Multi-factor authentication should be a basic element of security
The first layer of security should always be multi-factor authentication (MFA). With over 552 million passwords having been leaked to the dark web in the last decade, any number of criminals can gain access to your various accounts. Having MFA active makes it difficult for hackers and cybercriminals to get into these accounts, especially if you have to confirm entry through a mobile device.
Firewalls matter
With every generation of digital innovation comes a new wave of threats. As such, it is important to employ the latest security measures, which entails Next Generation Firewalls. These firewalls can provide additional layers of protection against web vulnerabilities. They mitigate the effects of DDOS attacks and provide greater digital threat intelligence than your average firewall.
Final thoughts
As cybercriminals become more creative, so too must evolve our security measures. As more and more people and businesses operate online, that increases the possibility of many different threats and problems. For a growing enterprise, this might mean a death sentence.
As such, it is important to invest in digital threat intelligence. Enquire with us at FraudWatch International now about how you can protect your business and save your money.