How many types of network security threats are there? What are they? How do I prevent them?
How Many Types of Network Security Attacks Are There?
Network security threats are not one-dimensional. They have different flavors and they can be classified in many ways. Many terms that you may hear are “viruses,” “worms,” “Trojans,” “spyware,” “adware,” and so on.
Many of these terms are used interchangeably. But they do have different characteristics and origins. Some of them may cause very little damage. This is while others can cost a company millions of dollars in damages or loss.
What Are They and How Do I Prevent Them?
The answer to this question depends on the type of network security issues you want to prevent. For example, if you want to prevent spyware from infecting your computer, the software company that made your security software can provide instructions. That is for you to follow to ensure your protection.
However, if you want to ensure that your business does not experience a cyber attack. It will shut down your network for weeks or months at a time. Because you will need a more advanced type of software that is specifically designed for that purpose.
Many types of security attacks originate from the Internet, so it is crucial to have a firewall in place. This is to filter out the ones you don’t want to allow access to your private network. Some attacks come from within your network, so it is important to protect yourself there as well with anti-virus.
This includes anti-malware software on each computer and server on your network. If you would like more information about Internet security threats or other types of threats, please contact us today. Another important thing about network security threats is that they are not one-dimensional.
External Network Security Threats
Any computer connected to the Internet is a target for external network security threats. Your business’ website, your employees’ home computers, your customers’ computers, and so on are all susceptible to these types of attacks. The following list lists a few examples of external network security threats:
Spyware, adware, viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and rootkits are some of the most common types of malware that users encounter today. These types of malware can do things such as slow down a computer, and display pop-up ads when visiting certain websites.
It also steals personal information such as credit card numbers when you use an infected computer to purchase something online. Most of the time these types of attacks occur through e-mail attachments or links in e-mails that direct you to another website. Then a download takes place unbeknownst to you.
Most e-mail clients have features that allow you to scan attachments for viruses before downloading them onto your computer. Some browsers also have this feature built-in. Microsoft Internet Explorer has an option called SmartScreen Filter.
This feature will warn you if you try to download something from a site that is known for distributing malware or other malicious software. If everything looks safe, click on the option that allows it to continue downloading anyway. Because sometimes false positives are generated by these scanning features and can be quite annoying when you’re trying to download a legitimate file flagged as being malicious by mistake.