Recent Successful Attack on Linux OS Proves No System Is Completely Safe

You may assume that only new startups and small businesses are most vulnerable to cyber attacks, but the recent attack that happened to Linux, one of the leading operating systems in the world, would convince you otherwise.

And of course, it makes sense that hackers would be drawn towards attacking leaders in the market since they stand to lose much more than anyone else, given that they have access to a lot of sensitive data and will be willing to pay more in order to fix the problem. 

This should serve as an eye-opener, since it proves that even companies that have strong security measures and systems in place can still fall prey to ransomware attacks.

This doesn’t mean that there’s absolutely nothing you can do to protect your company and data from hackers – it just means that you need to be constantly aware of how you may be attacked and look out for any suspicious activity which may be an attempted attack. 

In this article, we’re going to give you a quick walk through some of the measures you can take to prevent a ransomware attack happening to your company, regardless of whether you’re as big a company as Linux or a startup who’s new to the tech space. Let’s get started. 

Know what to look out for

You can’t protect your system or company unless you know the different ways in which you can expect to be attacked.

This includes having an in-depth understanding of the way ransomware functions, the different types of ransomware that are currently being used by hackers, how they usually get a hold of your system and what precautionary measures you can take to avoid such occurrences from easily happening. 

For starters, it’s a good idea to have a bi-yearly crash course for all the employees in the company on the different types of ransomware and how they can be transferred to your system. 

Understanding the means of attack usually decreases the chances of regular cyber attacks. This course should ideally include everyone in the company who has access to classified data that could potentially be stolen. 

The different types of attacks 

Here’s a list of the most common ways hackers adopt to attack a company, usually due to the oversight of people who are not aware of the dangers of cyber attacks. Even know there are numerous ways through which an attack can be performed, these still continue to be the most common among the entire lot:

1. Scam and phishing emails – it’s best to steer clear of emails which either look suspicious or are from senders who are not in your contact list. Sometimes, scammers use a familiar profile picture on their email to get people to automatically click on their link due to familiarity. Make sure you always check the email address of the sender before clicking on any link. 
2. Server vulnerabilities – make sure your system and security measures are always updated and protected, because scammers are always trying to make the most of any kind of vulnerability they can come across. 
3. Fake websites – don’t risk heading to dangerous websites which seem fake or dangerous. At best, your system will receive a virus and at worst, a full-blown ransomware attack. Many hackers use websites to attack unassuming employees who may not be aware or educated on the problems caused by fake websites. 
4. Online ads – these always seem too good to be true and they usually are. Steer clear of any online ads you see popping up on websites you visit, because you never know which could be a potential threat to your system. 

To know more about the best ways to protect your system from ransomware attacks, take a look at this detailed guide that specifies all kinds of potential online attacks on Ransomware’s website.