Ransomware and data breaches have been in the headlines recently and the expectation among experts that work in digital security is that malicious attacks against government entities and companies will only get worse. According to a study published by Palo Alto Networks, the average ransomware payment has nearly tripled in 2021 compared to last year. 

In general US companies, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations do not spend a lot of time or resources training employees on network and data security. Employees and especially account managers that have access to customer data are the first line of defense against a ransomware attack or data breach.

Below are some of the biggest threats that businesses and organizations currently face with ongoing cyber threats:

1. Malware – Malware has been a scourge of the Internet since its inception and will continue to thrive as long as bad actors continue to exploit weaknesses in software and poor security procedures. Malware is malicious software that can infect computers/networks and is used to steal valuable information. It typically gets installed on computers through phishing attacks when an unsuspecting person clicks on a malicious link and downloads the infected software. 

2. Ransomware – Ransomware is a type of malware that can be downloaded on a computer and then proceeds to lock down the files and information stored on the device through encryption. The hackers that created the ransomware then demand a hefty ransom payment from the victim to decrypt the files and not publish the contents of the data for all to see on the Internet.  

3. Keylogging Software – Keylogging software is another form of malware that is downloaded onto a device and then proceeds to log all of your keyboard strokes and transmit the information back to the hackers. The data that is logged and transmitted to a fraudster could be potentially critical information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card numbers. 

4. Carding – Stolen credit card numbers are sold on some of the darkest places of the Internet and when a criminal gets their hands on a batch of stolen credit cards they have to test them out to see if they are still “live” cards. The testing ground for criminals is usually a website with eCommerce or a nonprofit organization’s online giving page. When they test stolen cards, they will process hundreds to thousands of small-dollar transactions to see if the purchases are processed successfully. Once a fraudster knows that they have a good credit card, they will proceed to take the fraud to the next level with much larger purchases. 

Employee training and general education on best practices do not have to be overly difficult or time-consuming. You can prevent a potential attack and protect your organization’s critical data just by educating your staff on the simple preventive measures detailed below.

About NETSIMPLE
NETSIMPLE is a merchant services, point-of-sale, and online payments company. We specialty is helping SMB business maximize their revenue and cut costs across the United States.

We take pride in offering the best customer service in the industry, and while some of our leadership comes from the hospitality industry, we understand how important top-notch customer service is and making sure the customer is satisfied and offer the tools needed to help their businesses grow.

We are your one stop shop for a variety of merchant service solutions that enables you to accept a payment anytime and anywhere. We have our own proprietary technology called DEBIE (Digital Enterprise-level Business Information Ecosystem) that we use to build beautiful websites quickly and affordability. DEBIE also comes packed with built-in modules that our clients use to manage their customers, sell products online and much more.