The one thing about cyber security that you should always be aware of is its ongoing state of evolution. Threats are constantly evolving; thus, your defensive strategy cannot become inert.
This is not overly dramatic. Attacks occurred around every 39 seconds in 2023. Approximately 40% of all attacks are script-based, meaning that malevolent actors have unlimited access to resources. IT experts and managed service providers (MSPs) and rmm tools and PSA software suppliers must exercise caution.
We have compiled a list of some of the biggest cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities from recent history to assist. This is the impact of the shifting landscape on security-conscious individuals.
What is cyber security?
A catch-all word for reducing the risks of cyberattacks is cybersecurity. Organizations employ a range of procedures, technologies, and controls to practice adequate cyber security, including:
Keep information, software, hardware, networks, and other assets safe from real-time unauthorized access and exploitation.
Examine potential risks
Practice emergency response and simulate hacking. reaction techniques
Establish policies to encourage the safe use of information and technology.
How do vulnerabilities and threats to computer security operate?
Malicious actors can obtain unauthorized access to sensitive data through many means.
Also Read: What is SHA256 Encryption: How it Works and Applications
Existing weaknesses are often exploited in events. For example, hackers may leverage a widely recognized vulnerability to obtain backdoor access. Alternatively, they can uncover fresh vulnerabilities associated with your technology usage. In either case, these incidents frequently involve ransom demands, legal dangers, and bad public relations.
Not every bad actor is a Hollywood hacker working for a hidden organization of cybercriminals. Anyone can cause a breach, even a contracting agency, from irate workers and roguish states to terrorists and corporate spittle. Strong safeguards should be put in place before that occurs!
Here are a few of the most noteworthy threats that have emerged in the most recent headlines:
Twitter Email Leak
The Twitter data breach occurred only a few days after the year 2022 came to an end. In summary, the email addresses of more than 200 million Twitter users were exposed on underground hacking websites. The affected Twitter accounts surpassed 400 million.
Hackers began gathering data in 2021 by taking advantage of a vulnerability in the Twitter API. Several hackers took use of this vulnerability back in 2021, which led to multiple ransomware attempts and leaks in 2022.
One of the biggest data breaches in history is this one.
Also Read: Guide to Check Which Powershell Version You are UsingGuide to Check Which Powershell Version You are Using
The Royal Mail Hack
The UK’s Royal Mail was compromised by the Russian ransomware group LockBit in January 2023. The hackers demanded a ransom of £65 million to unlock the compromised data. The business requested that customers cease sending items overseas due to the severity of the event!
This may seem like a success story in certain ways. Ultimately, Royal Mail declined to provide a ransom. Unfortunately, there were prolonged service outages and many of its employees had their data disclosed.
This cybersecurity event demonstrates that averting a hack’s worst-case scenario is a minor comfort. The worst-case scenario persists, and the erosion of public trust is a severe blow for national infrastructure-level companies such as the Royal Mail.
The Reddit Hack
The forum site Reddit disclosed in February 2023 that the user was a recent victim of spear phishing. Through a phishing attack targeted at employees, hackers were able to access internal Reddit data. In addition, the hackers desired ransom money.
THE OUTCOME? Financial information was leaked along with the personal information of hundreds of current and former faculty members, staff members, and advertisers. Reddit’s emergency response team was able to resolve the issue swiftly. However, this was an event that the business ought to have completely avoided.
The phishing attack functioned by impersonating a page from the internal portal of the business. This tricked at least one worker into disclosing their access credentials—and all it takes is one!
T-Mobile Data Breach: T-Mobile USA had two hacks.
Late in 2022, T-Mobile disclosed that 37 million users’ personal data had been accessed by a malevolent attacker.
The most recent breach was found in March. Comparing the volume of stolen data to the previous breach, it was less. A total of 836 customers had their PINs, account information, and personal details compromised due to this cyber security threat. Information on personal bank accounts was not taken.
Also Read: What is BSSID?
The ChatGPT Payment Exposure
The widely used ChatGPT Plus service experienced a major outage in March 2023.
Even though the interruption was brief—about nine hours—it caused no appreciable harm. The payment information of more than one percent of subscribers was disclosed to other users. The communication histories of certain users also become accessible.
While 1. 2 may not seem like a big number, it represents yet another instance of a lost user’s trust. In this instance, OpenAI was unable to properly retrieve an open-source library, a huge mistake!
When you are unable to secure your software supply chain, it does not look good. This event might hurt a tech company’s competitiveness in an expanding industry like artificial intelligence.
Also Read: How To Take Screenshots on Windows and Mac
AT&T 3rd Party Data Breach
In March 2023, a third-party data breach exposed 9 million customer records belonging to another titan in the telecom industry, AT&T.
AT&T classified this threat as a supply chain assault involving data that was several years old and largely related to eligibility for device upgrades. Consequently, the telecom advised its clients to implement more robust password security protocols.
VMware ESXi Ransomware
In January of last year, a ransomware attack using an outdated vulnerability (CVE-2021-21974) affected about 3,200 unpatched VMware ESXi servers. Via CVE-2021-21974, hackers began a ransomware assault against VMware ESXi hypervisors. They were able to use this readily exploitable vulnerability to remotely exploit code without the need for previous authentication. France was the most affected nation, with the United States, Germany, and Canada following suit.
Concerning CrowdStrike, the issue is becoming more serious. “A growing number of threat actors are realizing that an environment rich in targets is created by inadequate network segmentation of ESXi intrusions, a lack of security tools, and ITW vulnerabilities for ESXi.”
How can MSPs get ready for threats and vulnerabilities related to cyber security?
Use these four practical suggestions to enhance your cybersecurity strategy and mitigate threats and vulnerabilities:
Make data backups a regular part of your life.
Adhere to the 3-2-1 backup policy. Store three duplicates of your information on two or more media types.
One copy will be stored on your primary system. The other two ought to be locally and cloud-based encrypted backups.
Reduce your exposure to the least amount possible.
Installing firewalls or antivirus software alone won’t cut it. Additionally, you must keep them updated.
Also Read: What is a VLAN (Virtual LAN)?
Author Bio
Fazal Hussain is a digital marketer working in the field since 2015. He has worked in different niches of digital marketing, be it SEO, social media marketing, email marketing, PPC, or content marketing. He loves writing about industry trends in technology and entrepreneurship, evaluating them from the different perspectives of industry leaders in the niches. In his leisure time, he loves to hang out with friends, watch movies, and explore new places.
