What is The Threat Landscape and How to Navigate It

a man in a suit is touching the word cyber threat

Cybersecurity threats have become a regular part of business, and navigating the threat landscape can be challenging. Cybercrime and breaches are a significant problem on the rise for companies. They are an even more serious problem for businesses without security measures to protect them.

As a business, you can’t afford to leave your data unprotected. Cybercrimes can cause operational issues, financial losses, and the loss of sensitive customer data. This results in fines and damages to your business’ reputation. What is the threat landscape, and what can you do to navigate it?

What is the Threat Landscape?

The threat landscape is a scope of potential and recognized security threats that can affect organizations and industries. It encompasses the malware, groups of attackers, vulnerabilities, and the techniques used to infiltrate systems and networks to obtain information that may be valuable to attackers.

The threat landscape changes over time as attackers and systems evolve, and events can help transform the landscape. New cyber threats emerge daily, and the landscape evolves. This means businesses and their security measures need to be ready to evolve with the threat landscape to stay protected.

Common Threats in the Threat Landscape

There are countless ways attackers try to gain access to your data, disrupt operations, or damage information. It’s essential to know the common threats you can encounter in the threat landscape to protect your business better.

Phishing – Phishing is a common tactic where attackers send a message through email, social media, text messages, or phone calls to trick people into following the instructions and providing sensitive information. Many attacks begin with phishing, and while they have signs of corruption, they have become harder to spot and have made their way through network security systems.

Ransomware – Ransomware locks down files on your system and doesn’t allow you to have access until you agree to pay a ransom. Attackers will often threaten to release the information, which can cause damage to the business’s reputation and major financial losses.

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attack – A DDoS attack takes down websites by flooding a computer or network with a botnet that halts operations and prevents the business from responding to requests. Botnets use millions of malware-infected systems operated by hackers, can be in different geological locations, and are difficult to trace.

How to Navigate The Threat Landscape

The threat landscape is continuously evolving and changing with attackers becoming more creative in obtaining and infiltrating systems. You need to be able to protect your business from common attacks and potential threats in the future. Here are a few tips you can implement to protect your business data and network.

Educate Employees on Cyber Threats – You want your employees to understand the risks of cyber threats in the threat landscape so they can do their part in protecting your business. Provide regular training to make your employees aware of what to look for, the importance of secure passwords, and avoiding unfamiliar links and attachments.
Keep Systems and Software Updated – Hackers will try to find vulnerabilities in your software and operating systems to carry out their attacks. Having your systems consistently updated removes vulnerabilities and ensures you have the best defense against cyber threats.
Backup Files and Data – When you lose data to cybercrimes, it can be catastrophic to your business. To avoid big losses, ensure you regularly back up your data using cloud storage and a designated server location.
Test Your Network Security Regularly – The threat landscape continuously evolves. To ensure your security systems are ready to take on security threats, you want to have professional testing to see the vulnerabilities in your systems you may not have been aware of. You can get a full report and be able to implement security measures to protect you further.

Understanding the threat landscape is essential to identifying any potential security problems your company may face. Call 4 Corner IT today at 954.474.2204 to learn more about how to best secure your network.