How to Stay Safe Against Cybercrime: A Complete Checklist

How to Stay Safe Against Cybercrime: A Complete Checklist

Cybercrime is expected to cost approximately $6 TRILLION annually by 2021 – up from $3 trillion in 2015. So how do you stay safe against this ever-evolving threat? Here’s our complete checklist…

First, what is cybercrime, and how does it work? Sure, we’re all aware that hackers are looking to steal sensitive information, but why? And how do they do it? Cybercrime is more complicated than many people realize. Cybercriminals are evolving – becoming more sophisticated and coordinated every day. By definition, cybercrime is an attack that takes place via the internet. Virtually, a cybercriminal launches an attack against a user for:

1. Stealing sensitive information, such as login credentials or financial data, to sell on the dark web.
2. Exporting and/or transferring money from accounts as a quick and easy way to make money.
3. Gaining power and/or influence of some sort over an organization, governmental agency, or group.
4. Wreaking havoc for entertainment or attention amongst the media or another audience.

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More often than not, the motivation is all financial, but as you can see, there are many reasons why a cybercriminal will launch an attack.

What Types of Attacks Should You Be Aware Of?

Although the types of attacks are evolving every day, there are some common forms of attack to be aware of:

• Phishing attacks wherein the hacker sends a phony email disguised as a legitimate cooperation or governmental agency requesting you to download something, click a link, or transmit sensitive information back.
• Drive-by downloads wherein a piece of malware are hidden on a website – typically a domain setup to appear as a legitimate organization – tricking the user into visiting the website that downloads malware onto their machine.
• Ransomware wherein the hacker manages to break into the user’s system, encrypt all of their programs and files, then demands a ransom in exchange for the decryption key to restore access.

Although this is not a complete list, the threats listed are the most common – but be aware, malware can make its way through infected websites, advertisements, USB sticks, unsupported browser extensions, and much more.

Click Here to Download Our Complete Checklist for Staying Safe Now.

Our recommendation? Download our complete checklist for staying safe. We’ve outlined the tools, processes, and procedures necessary to keep you protected against all sorts of threats – giving you the ability to maintain cybersecurity, and in turn, assist with any industry-specific compliance requirements.

Need help with implementing the measures on our checklist? Contact the professionals at Integrated365 at 469-634-7653 or via email to info@integrated365.com to schedule your complimentary consultation.