Advances in technology continue to make our lives more efficient. Yet the more connected we become, the more vulnerable we are to online threats – both personally and professionally. Your independent insurance agency is no exception. When you know what you are up against, however, it becomes far easier to go on the offensive.
Here are some of the latest cyber threats facing individuals and businesses, so you can learn and prepare your agency for online defense.
- Spearphishing
Much like phishing, this method of attack uses email to gain information. The sender uses key info such as your name or the name of someone you know to seem like an acquaintance. Usually the perpetrator gets facts from social networking sites, like posts about your recent purchases. A ruse then asks for a password, such as requesting to view a protected photo, and uses that password (or variations of it) to gain access to the recent retail site you visited.
- Ransomware
This is a new type of malware that holds your computer hostage. Hackers gain access to your device through downloads and file transfers from a suspicious source, such as a fraud email or phony website. Many pose as local law enforcement and post warning stating you have viewed “illicit materials” and need to pay a fine. Your device stays locked till you pay up. Many are fooled by this tactic due to the attacker’s ability to pinpoint geographic location and use local authority emblems in postings.
- Typosquatting
One of the easiest cyber-attack traps to fall in to, this tactic relies on users mistyping a common website name (i.e. “Googel” for “Google” or “Zapppos” for “Zappos”). The fraud sites the users land on may appear strikingly similar to the intended page, making it difficult to identify a threat. Once on the page, visitors are at risk of malware downloads due to the site’s seeming legitimacy.
It’s important for your agency to alert employees and clients about these new threats to keep their data safe from attack. One of the best pieces of advice is to store data in the cloud, which is why we at SIS store all our data in secure, off site servers with redundant backup. Find out more about SIS’s cloud security and other Partner XE benefits by contacting us at [email protected].
