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The risks of cyber-attacks emerge as IT technology evolves. These attacks are becoming increasingly complex, threatening the business, budgets and reputations of companies around the world. 

 We've selected some of the digital threats every business should beware of.

Digital security 

In a new IEEE survey of 350 IT executives, 51% of respondents cited cloud vulnerability as a top concern (up from 35% in 2022), and 43% considered data center vulnerability a major concern ( up from 27% in 2022).

IEEE is the world's largest professional technical organization dedicated to advancing technology for humanity.

Here are the most important security threats corporate IT can face:

Malware Attacks

Malware is one of the most widely used types of malicious software (including worms and viruses) that can steal confidential information and gain access to IT systems. The most common malware are viruses, worms, spyware, adware or Trojans.

Malware can be installed on a PC by: downloading software that comes bundled with it from the internet, visiting an infected website, clicking on a fake message or pop-up that leads to its download, or opening an infected file in an email, etc.

IT departments use anti-virus and firewalls to monitor and intercept malware before it penetrates networks and systems, but cybercriminals continue to develop malware to avoid these defences. That's why it's essential to constantly update IT security software, firewalls or other dedicated IT equipment.

Ransomware threats

This type of malware takes control of information, blocking access to a system so that cybercriminals demand ransom payments from victim companies to unlock IT systems or return the information they have extracted.

In 2022, ransomware attacks on businesses were 33% higher than in 2021, and many companies paid big money to recover their systems, although in some cases they were hit again by the same hackers.

Those deploying ransomware malware can hide in a company's network. Reducing their downtime (without being detected) "inside" corporate systems is key. And a key role is played by early detection of the cyber threat or attack on the company.

According to the data, about 60% of organisations affected by ransomware have paid the ransom demanded.

Attacks on supply chains

These are attack strategies targeted at organisations through vulnerabilities in the supply chain with the potential to induce cascading effects. A supply chain attack is when "goods, services or technology provided by a supplier to a customer have been breached and compromised", which then introduces risks to all their customers.

Supply chain or third party attacks usually originate from a trusted business partner, vendor or supplier and target the weakest or least secure link in an organisation's supply chain. These types of attacks can exploit a wide range of technologies, from software infrastructure, code signing certificates, cloud environments and managed services to hardware and devices.

By targeting companies that play critical roles in the operations of other businesses, such as raw material suppliers or logistics firms, cybercriminals have the ability to shut down an entire supply chain and apply increasing pressure to get victims to act as they wish.

This can range from a hacker using social engineering to break into an email account and send fraudulent emails or malware to the victim organisation's customer base, to a hacker modifying trusted software to be able to provide access to the victim's business systems.

Phishing attempts

Phishing is a major threat to companies because it is easy for employees to open fake emails that infect work devices with viruses. Training employees on how to recognise fake emails, report them and never open them can really help.

These phishing attacks, in which a cybercriminal sends a deceptive message tricking a user into providing sensitive information such as credit card numbers or launching malware on the user's system, can be extremely effective if done right.

 There has also been a 50% increase in phishing attacks on mobile devices, with scams and credential theft topping the list.

Human errors and security breaches

Cyber attackers know that the weakest link is people, not devices. Unfortunately, 44% of organisations still don't provide employees with ongoing IT security training.

Since most successful attacks stem from human behaviour, it is vital that organisations make it a priority to train employees, especially since some employees work in hybrid mode and are allowed to access company data from their own devices.  According to World Economic Forum research, 95% of cyber security problems are caused by human error.

According to the data, 82% of breaches occurred due to credential theft, phishing, misuse or simply human error.

Risks to IoT devices

In 2020, 61% of companies were using IoT, and this percentage has increased, along with the rise of security risks, especially with the advent of 5G telecoms, the communications network for connected devices.

Because IoT vendors are implementing lower levels of security on their devices, warw recommended a reset of default IoT security settings on devices so that they comply with corporate standards.

Human errors and security breaches

Cybercriminals know that the weakest link is people, not devices. Unfortunately, 44% of organizations still don't provide employees with ongoing IT security training.

Since most successful attacks are due to human behavior, it's critical for organizations to prioritize employee training, especially since some employees work in hybrid mode and access company data from their own devices.  According to a World Economic Forum study, 95 percent of cybersecurity problems are caused by human error.

According to the data, 82% of breaches were due to credential theft, phishing, misuse or simply human error.

Risks to IoT devices

In 2020, 61% of companies were using the IoT, and that percentage has increased, along with security risks, especially with the advent of 5G telecommunications, the communication networks for connected devices.

As IoT vendors implement lower levels of security on their devices, warw recommended resetting IoT devices' default security settings to meet corporate standards.