Secure Yourself and your Business from Security Risks Set to Capture 2017 by Storm

14 Feb

Without a shadow of any doubt, the Internet of Things (IoT) has more than ‘connected’ us, and indisputably more than many of us ever thought possible. It has also brought a myriad of risks into our midst too.

All things considered, it’s quite a scary concept that with smart home technology you can use the IoT to control just about anything from turning on your oven to controlling your air conditioning system, from just about anywhere. At risk of repeating ourselves though, one of the biggest threats in the advancement of these technologies is that of your privacy.

Currently there are approximately 6.4 million IoT connected devices and by 2021, that figure is expected to jump up to over 20 million. The stats are astounding and it makes one realise that every time you use a connected electronic device, there are risks you should be aware of and ready for.

Some of the biggest security risks to be aware of this year include:

Ransomware – this is a program that cyber criminals can buy on the dark web. It’s used to hold people’s personal information ransom. How do you know if you have been a victim of ransomware? You might open your images or another document / file on your computer only to find that they are “corrupt” or missing. You will then receive a warning advising you to pay a ransom in order to have the information returned. Ransomware attacks have increased over 600% in the last year, so it goes without saying that it’s something that you need to protect yourself against.

Internet enabled toys – nearly all modern toys can connect to a network in some way or another. Children and parent’s information and privacy are at risk with these types of toys, which are hard to secure. In some instances, even the webcam on laptops and computers have been used to record information and conversations.

Unencrypted data stored in the cloud – if you are going to make use of cloud services, make sure that the data you stored will actually be encrypted. Unencrypted data is data that’s begging to be hacked. At Soteria Cloud we ensure that all of your data stored with us is encrypted, for your piece of mind.

Phishing – one would think that with phishing raising its head several years ago already, that people would be wiser to phishing attacks. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. People still click on links that they are unsure of and soon their system and personal data is at risk.

While these are the top risks that we believe you need to be aware of in 2017, they certainly aren’t the only ones. For more security tips and advice and to learn more about our online encrypted data backup services, contact us or check out our packages today.

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