Digitization creates a competitive advantage for businesses, but it also exposes them to network security threats. Identity theft has become a rampant problem due to data breach issues. Everyone involved loses when personal information is compromised. Given the amount of data privacy breaches making headlines today, consumers are more concerned about ways to protect personal information online.
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Loss of sensitive data can cause significant damages. Consumers can feel betrayed or even frustrated when they lose personal information. Employees who accidentally caused the breach can lose their jobs or compromise their performance in fear of something unprecedented. The organization itself can lose its reputation and consumer trust and face severe penalties.
This year, video game giant CD Projekt Red became a victim of a cyberattack. This issue halted many of their updates and caused reputation damage.
Network security doesn’t just benefit the organization, but they protect the personal information of clients or consumers who share information with the organization or to the public. Businesses should focus on strategies that protect personal information.
Social Engineering Attack Techniques
Social engineering is the terminology applied for a wide range of vicious behaviors achieved through human interactions. It implements psychological exploitation to dupe unsuspecting victims into sharing personal information online or making cyber mistakes. These attacks are launched in various forms and executed wherever human interactions are possible.
Here are some of the most common forms of social engineering attacks:
Phishing
A phishing scam is the most common form of social engineering assault. It looks like an email sent from a legitimate source with an undertone of urgency. However, once you click the link or the attachment, you could be installing malware or ransomware that will leak your private information online and sell it to other malicious groups.
Spear Phishing
Spear phishing is more focused and intricate. Personal cybersecurity measures often fail to differentiate between this tactic with a genuine email from a reliable source. It involves more effort and takes longer to pull off and is much harder to detect.
Baiting
Just as its name implies, baiting involves applying a misleading promise to arouse the victim’s interest or curiosity.
Pretexting
Pretexting involves retrieving personal information online through successions of expertly constructed lies. Cybercriminals use this scam to gather sensitive information like phone records, social security numbers, bank records, account details, staff vacation dates, etc.
Scareware
Scareware attack tricks victims into thinking that their system is injected with malware. This tactic then prompts them to install malware under the garb of it being antivirus software. This attack is also called fraudware, rogue, pretentious software, or scanner software.
Important Measures to Protect Personal Information
You can protect your personal information with elaborately designed network security practices. It will prevent identity theft, reputational damages, financial loss, and other severe penalties. Personal information includes email addresses, physical addresses, names, social security numbers, phone numbers, card details, medical records, etc.
◉ Organizations that adhere to privacy principles ensure that their organization respects clients’ rights and preferences or consumers whose information they collect. Consumers should have the choice to opt-out of using, managing, or transferring their data to third parties would help. Adequate security measures will protect personal information online from alteration, unauthorized access, loss, and other forms of risks.
◉ Read privacy policies to know how certain websites maintain access, accuracy, security, and control the personal information they access. You must follow online security best practices to ensure that your system can counter threats from hackers.
◉ Don’t share personal information online on platforms that don’t seem authentic. Always analyze the source that is asking for details and where it will be shared.
◉ Use passwords on your device and account. Don’t use the same password over and again. Ensure your passwords are strong and include combinations of numbers, words, and other characters.
◉ Install security software like antivirus, firewall, anti-spyware, etc.
◉ Beware of phishing emails: don’t open attachments, files, or links that you’re not sure are coming from a genuine source.
◉ Before you share personal information over a smartphone or PC connected to a public wireless network, make sure that your personal information is safe.
These measures are only fruitful in a big organization if you have blue team security officers’ expertise at your disposal. These professionals analyze system flaws, data flow, user behavior, and files downloaded by employees to predict a possible attack. As a senior leader of your organization, you can also encourage your IT staff members to undergo network defense training. The latest versions of these certification programs will train these individuals with everything necessary required to counter network security threats.
Source: eccouncil.org
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