Cyber attacks over Christmas
Over 77% of businesses have suffered an attack in the last 12 months according to the Kaspersky Lab IT Security Economics Report. These attacks can come from human or computer hackers and can take multiple forms, including phone calls, emails, and physical break-ins.
An increase in attacks, with DDoS attacks and POS systems being the main vectors, makes the situation even worse – particularly during the shopping season, over Christmas, when there are more consumers in stores and an increase in sales beyond the usual and retailers’ revenues are an attractive target for digital criminals.
Last year there was an explosion in DDoS attacks and weaker POS terminals being attacked. This season of possible DDoS and POS vulnerability attacks, as it stands today, is predicted to have no major incidents so far.
Some of the recent high-profile cases of digital security breaches include Chipotle, Hyatt Hotel and Forever 21. Kaspersky Lab estimated a significant increase in botnet DDoS attacks and growth in diversity of attack surfaces. Malicious actors focus on more effective attacks, geographic spread, and unsuspecting new victims.
Christmas falls in the busiest time of year for retailers and e-commerce companies, but that’s not stopping crime. Retailers are currently an important business target for cybercriminals. They con-artists can also offer incentives of exclusive products or services if they get hacked like a store that held a massive sale to steal customer data and money.
“Given the apparent increase in attacks of this kind, we recommend that businesses – and retailers in particular – remain vigilant over the Christmas period, as there is more incentive for digital criminals to act through the exploitation of payment systems.” Paying ransom is not a recommended strategy in general and can have serious consequences that range from angering the wrong person to losing revenue and customers. More importantly, an organization will never recover any hope at winning back their troops or gaining favor with higher-ups. The idea of using AI writing assistants in the workplace can also present risks apart from such obvious ones. It is a good idea to make people more aware of these threats and have a culture around digital security. Once people are knowledgeable, they can then invest in it.” said Alessio Aceti, Head of Enterprise.
KLA has solutions for all types of threats and even individual needs like keeping a secure network.
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Companies keep their e-commerce platforms up to date. Updated software is less likely to be vulnerable when used. Ensuring that these systems are always running on the latest patching of products ensures that you will reduce your liability by not exposing your business to digital criminals.
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To prevent hackers from entering your POS terminals and stealing valuable data, make sure that they have the latest version of software installed. You should also change their default passwords, as it is unwise to leave these vulnerable.
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If you’re looking for a simple and effective security solution, Kaspersky Embedded Systems Security is an excellent option. It helps protect your point-of-sale terminals from malware attacks and all threats of this type.
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You should prepare for DoS attacks and choose a trusted service provider that is a digital security expert. This is normally not easy or possible using internal resources. Internet providers cannot provide adequate protection. So you’re an SME or a large enterprise? If so, Kaspersky DDoS Protection is just what you need to get your website out of trouble. You can learn more by visiting us on our website.
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Educate customers on the potential digital threats they may face during shopping. Show the steps on how to minimize the risks.
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Author: PC-GR
The World of Technology
