The last few years have seen a rise in cyber-attacks, some of which have crippled entire enterprises and threatened to bring down giant conglomerates. As the attacks become more sophisticated and challenging to counter, businesses are having to invest heavily in network security and managed services.

While in the past you could keep these threats at bay by refusing to open suspicious emails, today some worms and viruses can stealthily download and install themselves into your system through web browsers and apps. Here are the top six network security threats you should be on the lookout for this year.

1. Worms and Viruses

When it comes to network security threats, computer viruses are the most well-known among the masses. The target of computer viruses and worms is to infect core systems by installing harmful, malicious programs aimed at corrupting critical systems data and disabling or crippling your networks to render them inoperable. A computer virus attaches itself to a host file or a system and can be inactive or dormant for some time until it’s activated by an event or a timer.

Worms, on the other hand, are more generic. They sometimes use macros to infect spreadsheets, documents, and a variety of other files. Once in, a worm starts to duplicate itself and infects vulnerable computers and networked systems. Worms and viruses are all the vulnerability a hacker needs to attack your system and cripple your operations.

To mitigate these threats, install an anti-malware solution on every networked system and device to prevent or check the spread of these worms and viruses. Such anti-malware help to flag malicious viruses and worms and remove them before they can infect your system. Your software must also be constantly updated since hackers are always coming up with ways to exploit software vulnerabilities.

2. Phishing Attacks

Phishing attacks are becoming an increasingly common form of network security threat. The goal of a phishing attack is to steal important information such as credit card details, user logins, and a host of other personal information, mostly financial. These attacks are camouflaged to look like they are coming from a trusted source, but in the real sense, they impersonate well known and trusted websites, personal contacts, and banking institutions.

Should you make the mistake of replying to a phishing message and divulge your financial information or login credentials, unknown to you, your details are sent directly to the attacker on the other side.

To counter phishing attacks, be extremely vigilant and avoid opening or reading suspicious emails. As a rule of thumb, check the URL before opening an external email link. In a phishing email, the link in the email is different from the real URL. Rather than click on it, manually enter the correct URL to be certain you are dealing with the correct people. Delete all emails that appear fraudulent.

3. Ransomware

Ransomware is a new cybersecurity threat. Of businesses that have been attacked using this threat, 67% of them have lost all or part of their data. Ransomware works by infecting database systems that are deemed to be secure. The attackers then threaten to delete or corrupt the system files unless you pay them a ransom, usually a hefty amount. These attacks have been mainly aided by crypto-currencies such as Bitcoin, which allows anonymity in transactions, providing a safe haven for ransomware attackers.

To reduce your exposure to ransomware attacks, install the latest antivirus software and keep all your software and applications updated to reduce vulnerabilities. Also, train all your employees to identify phishing attacks and stop them. Maintaining backups will also prove a lifesaver should your company fall to a phishing attack.

4. DDoS Attacks

Also known as Distributed Denial of Service, DDoS attacks aim at overwhelming your servers with massive demands for data. The aim is to completely cripple your servers and make sure no one can access your services. This can be especially damaging if you sell services and products online since your customers will be unable to reach you.

The loss in revenue could run into millions of dollars every day. Early detection is critical when dealing with a DDoS attack. There are tools you can use to block attack patterns and employ defensive measures to counter a DDoS attack before the network security threats get out of control.

5. Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs)

These attacks involve infecting your system with an attack code, which quietly sits in your system for an extended time. In the meantime, the code steals critical security and financial information. Once in your system, APTs can survey and infect other parts of your system and end up compromising your data.

APTs can easily move across your networked systems, leaving a trail of damage in their wake. Due to their stealth nature, these types of attacks are difficult to flag off. However, a keen network administrator can detect them by looking for strange network connectivity patterns or suspicious access to large amounts of data.

6. Drive-by Download Attacks

In the past, all you had to do to maintain network security was to desist from downloading files from untrustworthy sources. Well, today this is not that easy. With a drive-by download attack, a malicious code is automatically downloaded from an app or a browser, or from an integrated operating system.

The URLs look and act like the actual websites while in the real sense, they are a haven for tons of malicious codes, each trying their best to infiltrate your system’s security. To keep drive-by download attacks at bay, make sure your browser is up-to-date. There are also safe search tools you can use to detect potential threats and deny them access.