Cyber Security: Play offense

A. According to Ernst & Young, only 38% of businesses are prepared for a cyber-attack. While companies are slow to rise to the threat, cybercriminals are ramping up the sophistication and speed of their attacks. Even if you consider yourself prepared, what are you doing to protect your company from future threats?

Over the last three months, we have covered how to prevent a security breach as it relates to business owners, employees, and patients/customers. We've empowered readers to defend their businesses online through encryption and firewalls, to secure their employees with education and two-factor authentication, and to protect their customers from the all-too-common identity theft. However, the fight doesn't end there. Today, we're discussing the future of cyber security threats and prevention.

4Social engineering attacks: Sophisticated scams that involve fake profiles, malicious campaigns made to look like trusted brands, and unauthorized access to corporate information housed on compromised company blogs.

4Mobile and cloud-based attacks: Cloud-based service providers being targeted by cybercriminals using mobile location-based services for future attacks.   

4Event-based attacks: Similar to the click-bait links on your Facebook newsfeed, cybercriminals will capitalize on major international events by posing as legitimate news services in your social feeds to infect your devices and access your data.

Know that there is hope. Using the tips from the previous three articles and partnering with a trusted online security provider, your offense will be your best defense. Take the threat, your preparation and your security seriously. You can do it and help is only a phone call away.

Rob Duryea is president of VGM Forbin. Reach him at robd@forbin.com.