There are a lot of different threats online that CSPs have to know what they can do to protect themselves against. With your data becoming more valuable than ever before and scams and tricks becoming more sophisticated, it can be hard to ensure that your network and services are secure.
The first step in preventing problems is to be aware of them, so this article is going to highlight some of the internet security threats that you need to be aware of and provide solutions to ensure that they’re not a problem for your service.
Phishing Attacks
One of the most popular threats that people online deal with on a near-daily basis is phishing scams. In a nutshell, these scams are when fraudsters pose as a legitimate organization, either through an email or via a webpage, in an attempt to obtain your financial information to sell you a product that doesn’t exist.
The most common form of a phishing email is when a criminal pretends to be a bank and sends a fabricated alert that an unauthorized sign-in has occurred on your account. In that email will be a backlink that they’ll ask you to use to sign in yourself to prove your identity, but usually, it’ll either be a link to a fake website where they’ll harvest any information you input, or it can be a disguised download like for a malware installation.
Thankfully, most email providers are proficient at diverting probable phishing attempts to your junk email, but if you’re unsure, always check the email address that the email has been sent from, as it will be different from the official one of the business they’re imitating.
Hacking
Hacking conjures up images of people shifting through tones of code and data to gain access to a network, but in reality, it’s usually a lot easier than that. If your CSP network isn’t secure with a good firewall or VPN, hackers can have an easy time gaining access and wreaking havoc, which in the worst case can cause your service to go down completely, which will result in many angry customers.
Thankfully, all that needs to be done to significantly reduce the threat of hacking is to have the right systems and programs in place. Third-party network security services are a great way to ensure protection, as they can provide the tools to keep your business and personal devices safe.
Human Error
One of the biggest causes of viruses and malware or a data breach is because of human error or bad internet practices. For example, things such as visiting sketchy websites to stream videos and sports or using the same password for all your digital accounts will make you more susceptible to a hacking attempt.
This means that it’s important to train members of staff within the CSP on what to do and not to do online when working. It’s can also be helpful to ensure you have an up-to-date piece of anti-virus software and an ad blocker installed on your browser so that you’re exposed to fewer risks.