Cyber prevention: Staying ahead of the phishers, vishers and smishers

It starts with a phone call, a click of a link, a request from the CFO, a customer locked out of an account or a vendor complaining about a missing payment.

These attempts are just a few of the many ways in which ransomware, phishing, and other cyber attacks are launched. Seemingly everyday activities are altered to allow thieves entry into a company’s network or access to data and are becoming more prevalent.

According to AXA XL cyber breach partner Kivu Consulting, there has a been a sharp increase in particularly bad ransomware strains, ones that fatally corrupt substantial portions of the victim’s data; ones that fail to decrypt properly after payment of a ransom, or is favoured by volatile, unskilled attackers who are unable to troubleshoot decryption issues.

Symantec reports that the number of ransomware variants has increased by 46 percent and this trend is expected to continue as cyber-crime methods evolve.

This article highlights the latest cyber trends, areas vulnerable to attack and the steps organisations can take to mitigate cyber risks.

Topics covered:
• Four specific areas susceptible to attack.
• Benefits of a cybersecurity partnership.
• Available pre-breach services.
• Taking advantage of the services that aim to reduce a business’ cyber risk.