No matter how many blocks you put in there is almost always a way that someone can circumnavigate your security. In this blog post, learn how to fix holes and backdoors of your IT network security.
The Trouble with Security
It can be tough to make a security system 100% secure from an attack. Imagine that you were setting up a security system for your home. You might put a chain-link fence around your property, and get a lock for your door. But maybe the fence is too low and easy for people to get over, now you build a taller fence with a locked gate. However, dedicated criminals can still hop the fence, so you decide to put barbed wire on top.
But even with the high fence, locked gate, barbed wire, and locked front door, there are still ways for people to get in. Maybe they dig under the fence or manage to get over the fence and get in through an open window. This is just how cybersecurity can be.
No matter how many blocks you put in there is almost always a way that someone can circumnavigate your security. The trick is to secure the most common threats and fix the easy holes that people take advantage of.
Basic Threats
At its core, cybersecurity is about keeping unwanted people off your network and keeping your data safe. There are a variety of threats that can come from those who want access to your network.
Malware
Malware is a malicious program that can make changes to your computer. They might freeze programs or data, shut down systems, or cause other nasty problems that can be hard to fix. Keeping Malware off your system is a must.
Ransomware
Ransomware is an attack that will freeze and encrypt everything on your system. This is a common attack that people use to get money from you. They can freeze everything in your network and demand a ransom payment or everything will be deleted. This has become a bigger threat as an entire black market has been created around this attack.
Brute Force Attack
A Brute Force Attack is an attack that comes from a program that can enter countless password attempts to access your account. Once they are in then they can steal everything and change whatever information they want.
Avoiding Attacks
There are many very easy and FREE ways to secure your IT security system. These include correct password management and or using multi-factor authentication. However, we want to talk about some things that are not so obvious.
Firewall Ports
Firewalls are a piece of security that everyone should be using. Think of a firewall as a barrier from your network to the entire internet. It stops every program from entering and stops your information from being available to everyone on the web.
In a firewall, only certain types of information are allowed to pass through.
However, many of us blindly trust our firewalls without really looking at what’s happening. Firewalls have codes for certain kinds of information that are allowed to enter. But this is not a perfect system.
There are some codes that rarely get used, and your firewall does not worry about them. However, people are able to disguise some malicious attacks by using the weaknesses in your firewall.
You are able to manually adjust your firewall so that you can filter out all of the most common access points. Things like this change all the time, so it’s important to stay up to date on your firewall and choose the right one for your business.
Backdoor Entrances
Let's imagine we are back at the home security example. Say you have the fence in front of your house, but someone hops over the fence and gets in through the open window when you are not home. They look around, take what they want, and leave without any sign that someone came in. This is how a backdoor works on a computer.
Backdoors can be an essential component in computer networks for the good guys just as much as attackers. Think of a locksmith who might have a skeleton key. The key itself isn’t the problem, it’s the way it’s being used.
Attackers do take advantage of these backdoors by sending in Trojan infections. These come attached to other programs that you may think are safe.
For instance, you might download a song from someone’s website but it has a hidden trojan attached. Once you download the song you can let in a Trojan horse that can get into your system and cause problems.
Backdoors are not the same thing as exploits. Exploits are when someone takes advantage of a known weakness in a system. This is one of the reasons you need to keep your files updated.
Backdoor entrances are things that you cannot always be “closed” or fixed. The design necessity makes it so you cannot permanently keep them secure from everybody.
To stop backdoor attacks it is more important to watch out for all the basic cybersecurity tips. These include password protection, tools to monitor network activity, and being careful about what plugins and programs you install.
There is always a chance that someone can use a backdoor against you, but operating safely online helps reduce this chance dramatically.
Get Help Today!
Another great option to keep you and your business safe is to work with a great cybersecurity team. Good security solutions and options for managed IT services can help you stay safe online.
Good IT teams can help you patch up the holes that might exist while keeping an eye on your system to watch for suspicious behavior.
Reach out to our great teams in Phoenix, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Chicago for a FREE network assessment. Together we can secure your cyber network from those who might want to harm you.
