Traditionally, the Monday following Thanksgiving is Cyber Monday–the day the online retailers offer holiday deals too good to pass up. Cyber criminals know this as well, though, which makes Cyber Monday a very risky proposition.Here are a few tips you can use to minimize your Cyber Monday risk:
1. Patch your systems. Most exploits and malware attacks target known vulnerabilities for which patches have already been developed. Make sure your operating system, applications, and any network hardware are current with the latest patches and updates and you will thwart most attacks.
2. Update your anti-malware. Make sure your antivirus or anti-malware security software is up to date with the most current signatures. Attackers often come armed with new attacks and zero day exploits, but many will also use viruses, Trojans, and bots that your anti-malware software should be able to detect and block.
3. Educate your users. This is the most important step. The end-user is always the weakest link in the security chain, and an uninformed user can easily subvert even the best security tools and techniques. Make sure your users are aware of the increased risk, and that they’re especially observant for deals that seem too good to be true. Make sure you know that Cyber Monday is not an excuse to circumvent security policy, or forget basic security principles.
Make sure you’re prepared!!
Leave a Reply