The internet is among the most powerful creations that offer knowledge and entertainment. It plays an important role in many areas. For example, it keeps people connected and allows them to do business from any part of the world. Unfortunately, like any other good invention, the internet has its problems.
Cybercriminals work both day and night to develop new ways of cheating and stealing from people. They develop new methods of attacks each day and you should therefore be careful. The World Economic Forum report shows that cybercrime damages are likely to hit $6 trillion in 2021. For that reason, many companies are investing more in cybersecurity.
In October 2020, ZDNet, one of the leading technology companies in Germany lost $20 million after Clop ransomware attacked their systems. You do not want that to happen to your business. But to avoid such attacks, you have to stay ahead of the criminals by understanding the different types of threats. Here are the top threats.
- Ransomware
This type of malware is designed to access your manufacturing data and encrypt it. After that, its designers will ask you to send a huge amount of money so that they can send you the keys you need to unlock the files. Most ransomware attacks take place through emails. Here are the tips you need to protect yourself from such attacks.
- Educate your staff on this type of malware, particularly in the identification of unsolicited emails.
- Invest in strong anti-malware software
- Update the software you use in your systems regularly.
- Back up your data from time to time. This will help you recover it easily if ransomware attacked your systems.
- Phishing Attacks
A phishing attack is a form of social engineering attack that cybercriminals use to steal user data, such as credit card numbers and login credentials. It happens when the attackers masquerade as trustworthy entities and dupes the victims into opening their instant message, email, or text message. They then trick the victim to install malware that freezes their system more like ransomware or reveals their sensitive information.
Phishing mostly happens through emails. The attackers craft the emails to look like they are from trustworthy people so that you can click on them. However, you can train your workers to identify such messages. Consider the following tips.
- Be suspicious of unexpected emails
- Use strong anti-malware programs to protect your manufacturing data
- Install spam filters in the computers you use in your manufacturing facility.
- Insider Threats
Most people focus more on external threats, such as phishing and ransomware, and forget about the threats that can originate from inside. Whether your manufacturing organization hires contractors or relies on full-time staff, you are at great risk of data leaks. Here are the tips you need to protect yourself from insider threats.
- Train the employees working in the manufacturing facility to stay alert when working and reduce data-related mistakes.
- Limit the data your employees can access. This means your employees will only access the data they need to do their jobs. Decide on the type of data your customer support team, management team, and the team in the production department should access.
- Use a computer application to monitor the working behavior of your employees. You will know when your employees copy data from their work computer.
Conclusion
For your manufacturing business to grow, you have to work hard to protect the manufacturing data. Iskander Makhmudov, the owner of UGMK, claims that identifying all the potential pitfalls and avoiding them is important. Consider the three threats we have listed above and work with your IT team to protect your organization. Alternatively, you can invest in IT units to deal with the problems and develop a protection strategy.
