Why Canadian Businesses Need to Beware of Cybercriminals
It’s hard to read the news without noticing the increase in cybercrime, especially cases of ransomware. Large organizations around the world are being held for ransom after their data is compromised or stolen for increasingly larger sums of money.
The technology and the knowledge needed to perpetuate ransomware attacks are readily available at low cost for cybercriminals, as noted in our National Cyber Threat Assessment 2020 report.
“Big game hunting,” or targeting larger businesses, happens when cybercriminals go after big enterprises that cannot tolerate disruptions and are likely to pay hefty ransoms to restore operations. But don’t be fooled — it isn’t just large businesses
that are being targeted. Small- and medium-sized businesses and individuals are just as likely to fall victim to cybercrime.
They just don’t make it into the news.
Mitigating ransomware incidents with cybersecurity knowledge and best practices
Old or unpatched software can provide easy access to business networks. Employees unable to recognize phishing emails and possibly compromised attachments can also lead to a serious breach. Basic passwords, re-used on many accounts, are easy entry points for cybercriminals to get access to your information.
There are simple and effective tips that can help protect you from common cyber incidents. For starters, you can improve your baseline cybersecurity defence, making it harder for cybercriminals to compromise your business. A harder target usually means cybercriminals need more resources. More resources mean time and money, which makes you less worth their while. It won’t make you invincible, but it helps make your business a less attractive target.
At the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (Cyber Centre), we have plenty of resources available to help. These resources can help prevent an attack and keep your business safe and secure, as well as provide guidance on better-educating employees on cybersecurity awareness. If you’ve fallen victim to a cyber incident, you can find advice on how to respond and report it via our new incident reporting portal. Reporting cyber incidents helps us and our partners make sure other Canadian businesses don’t fall victim to the same crime.