When most people think of a hacker, they imagine a mysterious misfit with a high IQ and a penchant for disaster. The media has done its part to propagate this stereotype. It's hard to find a movie, television program or online article that doesn't display cyber crooks as fast-talking, fast-typing anti-heroes in hoodies.
The truth of the matter is that it's easier than ever to become a hacker, and many cybercriminals have little to no formal training in tech. You might be thinking that this is good news, that low-level hackers are toothless compared to skilled cyber crooks. But unfortunately, this is far from true.
Cyber insurance providers can provide financial protections against data breach and cyberattack to help ensure that your business remains healthy and solvent for years to come. Below are a few of the reasons why you should be especially wary of low-level hackers.
From talentless hack to full-fledged hacker
Who do you think has the tougher job: cyber thieves or the security professionals that thwart their efforts? Exactly, the security professionals. That's because a hacker only needs to land one attack to be considered successful, while security experts need to block every single attack. Think of it as an imbalanced digital arms race.
And thanks to the dark web, more and more people are finding the hacking tools they need to steal data and cripple networks.
Take for example the Mirai botnet. This army of malware-infected devices can be used by script kiddies (another name for low-level hackers) to launch distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks to prevent web users from reaching your website or online service. In fact, the 2016 Dyn DDoS (which crashed some of the world's most popular websites) was likely the work of an overly zealous script kiddie.
Similarly, there are thousands of different botnets, malware programs, phishing scams and cyberattack tutorials on the dark web that nearly anyone can leverage for their diabolical purposes. Heck, you can even find hackers for hire in case you aren't willing to put the work in yourself.
Worried yet? Fast Company went so far to say that "the script kiddie next door is just as dangerous as a government-backed hacking collective, and the only way to remedy this trend is to "take even the smallest security threats seriously. Âù
It's time to fight back!
As a small business owner, you are probably wondering if there is anything you can do to stop script kiddies and low-level hackers from breaching your network. Thankfully, you can greatly improve your chances of averting disaster by making yourself a tough nut to crack, so to speak.
Start by adopting antivirus and anti-malware software to block attacks.
Keep your software up to date with the latest security patches.
Train your staff to identify and avoid suspicious links, emails, attachments and downloads.
Employ DDoS mitigation software to block malicious traffic from reaching your servers.
Develop an incident response plan informing employees how to report and respond to an attack or breach.
And finally, invest in one of the leading cyber insurance providers to help you insulate your business against the ravages of cyberattack and data breach. For a free cyber insurance quote, visit CyberPolicy!
