The world becomes more acutely aware of cyber attacks each day. The last five years have seen some of the most iconic cyber attacks yet. From Facebook’s 500+ million user data leak for which it paid out a $5 billion settlement, to this year’s Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack, people around the world and throughout the country are approaching their computers and phones with increasing caution, as we all should. Of course, while the big attacks on government and tech giants are outside of our control, there are steps all of us can take to be safer online. Here’s what you should know.

Cyber Threats Are Changing

There was a time when to be safe online, all a person would need to avoid downloading viruses or phishing scams was some prudence and an anti-virus software installed on the computer as a backup. But the virtual world has changed, and old strategies are no longer enough. With smart technology and AI becoming more integrated into our everyday lives, cyber threats are more prevalent, more sophisticated, and more cunningly stealthy than ever before. As AI continues to advance in areas like machine learning and natural language processing, artificially intelligent malware is becoming better at fooling us, learning to mimic human behavior and avoid detection. As the attacks become more malicious, so must the cybersecurity industry become even more prudent, and end users learn new habits to protect themselves from malware, ransomware, and phishing schemes. 

You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

This old saying is where we find ourselves particularly vulnerable to cyber attacks. Governments, companies, employees, and individuals alike are only as safe as we are prepared and aware. Whether in DC or in Seattle or Tacoma, we’re all at risk! We have a tendency to put a lot of trust in the websites we visit, people who email us, and governments that are meant to protect us. But when it comes to internet security, we are all vulnerable. As Shakespeare put it: “Trust a few.” Even with all the prudence we have learned, close to 90% of security threats still come in through targeted email. A surprisingly high number. Furthermore, it’s not just the big guys that get targeted. Approximately 1 in 5 small and mid-sized businesses report falling victim to a ransomware attack, and about a quarter of those will pay an average ransom of $5,900. Even more scary, threats today can come without file downloads or through what looks like a harmless PDF document. Sophisticated threats will sometimes do their work before being detected, even by a good antivirus software. Scary, right?

Being Prepared for an Attack

With all the fear we’ve just presented, it’s important to realize that even in a dangerous digital landscape, there is a lot that can be done to keep safe. In addition to your best security habits, AMS Technology provides Endpoint Detection and Response for IT Security. Like the name implies, Endpoint Detection and Response happens at the endpoint of a security attack: its destination and target. Traditional antivirus solutions work to prevent viruses from downloading and executing, but when a sophisticated attack gets through that line of defense and onto your network or device, an Endpoint Detection and Response system can manage the present threat. Using AI technology to monitor your system and detect threats in real-time, EDR uses rollback technology to rollback devices to their pre-infection state. It’s like turning back the clock and hitting “undo” on the virus! 

The best way to protect yourself and your company from today’s cybersecurity threats is to have prevention and mitigation measures in place. Prevention, like AV softwares, can help filter out incoming threats. Mitigation, like EDR services, can deal with attacks when they happen. You can read more about our Endpoint Detection and Response service here! Remember that just as you trust the software and services you use, your employees and clients trust you with their security and privacy. Let us help you keep that trust true.