The internet offers many benefits, and if used properly, it has the potential to simplify workflows and make your staff more efficient, productive, and collaborative. However, the internet is also a double-edged sword, as it’s home to countless cyberthreats. To protect your network from data breaches, it’s necessary to follow cybersecurity best practices. In this blog, we’re going to cover some of the biggest cyberattacks of 2021 and the cybersecurity best practices you can use to fight these threats.
Cybersecurity Best Practices
Cybersecurity best practices are all of the good cybersecurity habits you should be following in your day-to-day operations. You may already know a few, like developing an intrusion response plan or implementing an internet use policy. No company is 100% immune from cyber risks, but by following cybersecurity best practices, you can drastically lower the odds of your business becoming a victim.
Here are just a few computer security safety tips you can use to stay secure:
- Secure your Wi-Fi: Cybercriminals can easily invade an unprotected network. The Wi-Fi for your office should always be hidden, encrypted, and password protected to prevent unwanted outsiders from causing trouble.
- Create strong passwords: A good password should use a random mix of characters, numbers, capitalization, and symbols. The passwords you create should also be changed regularly to keep them from becoming compromised. You can go even further by using multi-factor authentication.
- Keep your systems updated: Cyberthreats are always evolving to slip through your defenses. Because of the persistence of these threats, developers work constantly to close security gaps through patches. When a new patch arrives, you should always go through the update as soon as possible.
- Invest in disaster recovery: No matter how good your cybersecurity is, there’s always a chance your network could be hit with an attack. In the event of data loss, disaster recovery can help you restore your data. If you want to ensure business continuity, work with a disaster recovery consultant.
- Cybersecurity training: Employees are an organization’s biggest vulnerability. However, you can turn that around by teaching your staff about cyberthreats, how to avoid them, and explaining what to do in the event of an attack. A well trained workforce is an effective last line of defense.
The Biggest Cyberattacks of 2021
Last year, ransomware and other cyberthreats ravaged schools, businesses, healthcare networks, critical infrastructure, and much more. However, some attacks had a bigger impact than others. It’s important to keep in mind that a lot of these attacks could’ve been prevented if these businesses had followed cybersecurity best practices, like the ones mentioned earlier. Regardless, here were some of the most damaging cyberattacks in 2021.
- Colonial Pipeline: Colonial Pipeline is the East Coast’s largest supplier of fuel. In early May, it was hit by an attack from a ransomware group known as DarkSide. This attack disrupted the East Coast’s fuel supply for several days.
- Twitch: This popular site that streams everything from video games to cooking shows suffered a major data leak in October. An anonymous 4chan user took the leaked Twitch information and posted it on 4chan as a torrent. The information not only contained Twitch’s source code, but also internal company documents, salaries, and the personal information of some of the platform’s biggest stars.
- JBS Foods: Shortly after the Colonial Pipeline attack, the hacker group REvil carried out an attack on one of the biggest meat processing companies in the world. Although there were no food shortages during this time, it was discovered that JBS paid the group $11 million.
- Acer: In May, this well-known PC manufacturer was targeted by REvil. The cybercriminals managed to steal files and leaked images of sensitive financial documents. The $50 million ransom is one of the highest ransom demands to date.
- Log4Shell: While this isn’t one specific attack, it deserves a spot on this list just for its implications. Log4j is software used to record all manner of activities that occur in most computer systems. A vulnerability in Log4j, dubbed Log4Shell, was discovered in December, and it can give someone complete access to your systems effortlessly. Since Log4j is ubiquitously used in computers around the world, this bug is the biggest vulnerability in history. Although botnets are currently being used to exploit this weakness, a patch has been released to fix it.
Protect Your Company From Cyberthreats
Stop worrying about cyberthreats and get the protection your company needs. CTMS offers comprehensive cybersecurity services to keep your data safe. We can even customize our solutions to meet the specific needs of your company.
Contact us today to learn more.
