Every business is constantly under threat from many sources. No business is immune to attack, from the largest Fortune 500 companies to the smallest mom-and-pop shops. There are simply too many threats to stop them all.

As an example, the leading antivirus company Kaspersky Lab noted that “The number of malicious files processed in Kaspersky Lab’s in-lab detection technology reached 360,000 per day in 2017” – that’s 250 new malware threats per minute.

Malicious actors can also exploit network vulnerabilities and cybersecurity threats to steal data from your company or cause damage.

What is a vulnerability in computer security, and how is it different from a cyber threat?

In its simplest form, a computer system vulnerability is any flaw in a system or network that could allow an attacker to cause damage or manipulate the system.

This is different than a “cyber attack” because, while an external element may be a threat, there are computer system vulnerabilities on the network asset (computer). They aren’t usually caused by an attacker, but cybercriminals can leverage these vulnerabilities in their attacks. Some even use the terms interchangeably.

The nature of the vulnerability, as well as the motivations of the attacker, will determine how a computer vulnerability can be exploited. These vulnerabilities may be caused by unanticipated interactions between different software programs, components of a system, or basic flaws within an individual program.

These are some examples of security vulnerabilities and security threats examples that will help you understand what to look out for.

1) Malware

New malware is constantly being developed, as we have already stated. Although 360,000 new malware files per day may seem daunting, one important thing to remember is that many of these “new malware” files are just rehashed versions of older malware programs. They have been modified to be unrecognizable by antivirus programs.

However, malware has evolved over the years, and each type of malware affects the target’s system differently.

• Ransomware. This malicious program encrypts the victim’s data storage drives and renders them inaccessible to their owner. The ransom demand is made for payment in exchange for the encryption key. The key and data will be deleted if the ransom demand doesn’t get met.
  
• Trojans. This refers to a type of malware delivery system. Trojans are malware programs that pretend to be legitimate in order to fool victims into installing them on their systems. Trojans can cause a lot of damage as they sneak past your network security defenses and pose as something benign while posing as a serious threat to your system. This is what Homer’s famous horse did to Troy in his “Iliad”.
  
• Worms. Worms can self-replicate and spread through email and other means. Once it has found a computer, the worm will look for a file-sharing or contacts system to send an email as an attachment. The attachment in an email is a part of the email that appears to be from the compromised person.

Many malware programs aim to copy sensitive data. Some malware programs can copy data from the computer and then send it to a server or port that can be used by an attacker to steal sensitive information.

While basic antivirus may protect against certain malware, a multilayered security system that includes deep-packet inspection firewalls and intrusion detection systems, email virus scanners, and employee training is required to provide the best protection.

2) Unpatched Security Vulnerabilities

Although many new threats are being created every day, many of them still rely on older security vulnerabilities for their success. There are so many malware out there trying to exploit the same vulnerabilities repeatedly, and it is one of the greatest risks a company can take.

It is all too common for businesses or even individual users in a network to ignore the “update available” reminders in certain programs. They don’t want the interruption of 5-10 minutes of productivity that would come with running an update. Most users find updating annoying. It’s not a problem for most users. However, it can save businesses a lot of time and money.

It’s easy to fix this problem by maintaining a regular update calendar. This is a day when your IT team reviews your software’s security patches and ensures they are applied to all your company’s systems.

3) Hidden Backdoor Programs

This is an example of an intentionally-created computer security vulnerability. A backdoor is a program that allows a computer to access a computer, typically for technical support remotely, diagnostics, configuration, or configuration purposes.

Hidden backdoors are programs that are installed on computers without user knowledge. Hidden backdoors can be a huge software vulnerability as they allow anyone with access to the backdoor to illegally access the computer system and any networks it is connected to.

A recent article from Bloomberg outlines a case in which a security flaw that could be used to open backdoors was found in the routers of a manufacturer. According to the author

“Europe’s largest phone company found hidden backdoors within the software that could allow Huawei unauthorised access to its fixed-line network in Italy. This system provides internet service to millions. Vodafone requested Huawei to remove backdoors from home internet routers in 2011. The supplier assured that the problems were resolved, but further testing revealed that there were security holes. “

The software vulnerability in Huawei routers is alarming because malicious actors could gain access to millions of networks if it’s used.

4) Superuser and Admin Account Privileges

One of the fundamental principles of managing software vulnerability is limiting software user access privileges. The less information/resources a user can access, the less damage that user account can do if compromised.

Many organizations don’t manage user account access privileges, allowing almost every user to have administrator-level access. Unprivileged users can create administrator-level user accounts through some computer security settings.

It is essential to ensure that each user has access to the information they need to perform their job. This will help to manage computer security vulnerabilities. It is also important to ensure that accounts created by users cannot have admin-level access in order to prevent less-privileged users from creating more privileged accounts.

5) Automated Running Scripts Without Malware/Virus Checks

An attacker has learned to exploit a common vulnerability in the network security system: certain browsers (such as Safari) are prone to automatically run “safe” or trusted scripts. Cybercriminals can trick the browser into running malware by imitating a trusted code piece and tricking it into doing so without the user’s knowledge.

While it is important to keep employees away from untrustworthy websites that could run malware is a good start, disabling the automatic running of “safe files” is more reliable and necessary for compliance with the Center for Internet Security (CIS) AppleOS benchmark.

6) Unknown security bugs in software or programming interfaces

Computer software can be extremely complex. Complexity can only grow when multiple programs interact with each other. This is because programming problems and conflicts within one piece of software could lead to security vulnerabilities. Software vulnerabilities can be created when two programs are interconnected.

Unanticipated code interactions and programming bugs are among the most dangerous computer security flaws. Cybercriminals constantly seek to exploit these vulnerabilities. It is almost impossible to predict the creation of these vulnerabilities in computer systems because of the sheer number of combinations of software that can be found on any given computer or network.

7) Phishing (Social Engineering Attacks)

An attacker attempts to trick employees of the victim organization into giving out sensitive data or account credentials or downloading malware. This attack is most commonly carried out by sending an email pretending to be from your vendor or someone with a lot of authority within the company.

An attacker might say, for example, “This is Mark from IT. Your user account has shown suspicious activity. Please click this link to reset your password.” This link often takes users to a website that will install malware on their computer, compromising the system. Another phishing attack may request that users give their account credentials to the attacker in order to solve a problem.

This strategy aims to exploit employees of an organization to bypass security layers and gain access to data faster.

There are many ways to protect against this attack strategy.

• Email Virus Detection Tool. To examine email attachments for malicious code that could damage your network.
  
• Multifactor authentication (MFA) Multiple authentication methods make it more difficult for attackers to steal user accounts using usernames and passwords.
  
• Basic cybersecurity protocols training for employees. A well-informed employee is less likely than someone who doesn’t have basic cybersecurity protocols. Employees can learn the basics of cybersecurity to avoid falling for phishing schemes.
  
• Defense In Depth. Network security is enhanced by a defense-in-depth approach. This adds additional layers of protection to each asset on the network. If attackers are able to bypass the network’s outer defenses, they will still have other layers of protection between the compromised asset and the rest.
  
• Policy Of Least Privilege. A policy of least privilege is a restriction on a user’s ability to access the minimum information necessary to complete their job duties. If account privileges are misused by a user, the damage to their accounts will be minimized.

8) Your IoT Devices

The Internet of Things (IoT), encompasses many smart devices such as printers, printers, and robots that can be used to make coffee, as well as Wi-Fi-capable refrigerators, printers, printers, and other machines. Hackers can hijack these devices to create slave networks of compromised devices for further attacks. Worse, many businesses are unaware of how many IoT devices are on their networks. This means that they may not be aware of unprotected vulnerabilities.

These unidentified devices present a huge opportunity for attackers and a major risk to businesses.

A security audit is recommended to identify all assets and operating systems on the network in order to minimize IoT device risk. These IoT devices will be properly documented in the company’s cybersecurity strategy. These audits should be done periodically in order to account for any new devices added to the network.

9) You are the employee

Employees are the greatest security risk in an organization. Most data breaches are caused by employees, either intentionally or accidentally.

Employees may misuse their access privileges to gain personal gain, for example. Or, an employee may click on the wrong link in an email, download the wrong file from an online site, or give the wrong person their user account credentials–allowing attackers easy access to your systems.

Employee data breaches can be prevented using the same techniques as in the anti-phishing bullets.

For example, a policy of least privilege prevents users from having too many data points at once. This makes it more difficult for hackers to steal information. Employees can also be trained in cybersecurity awareness to spot phishing attempts and other social engineering-style attacks.

How to find security vulnerabilities

It is crucial to identify security flaws before attackers can exploit them. This is one of the best ways to prevent a security breach. Many organizations lack the skills and tools to detect security weaknesses. Here are some tips to help you identify security weaknesses in your business.

How to find security vulnerabilities: Audit your network assets

It is essential to keep a detailed inventory of all assets in the network and the operating systems that they run, so security holes can be found. This inventory helps to identify security flaws in obsolete software as well as known program bugs in particular OS types.

An organization may assume its network security is current without having an inventory. However, they might have assets that are vulnerable to years-old vulnerabilities. This could also lead to insufficient protection for an organization if security gaps are closed using a new protocol but assets remain undiscovered.

Let’s say Servers A, C, and B get updated to multi-factor authentication. Server D, however, is not included on the inventory list. This less secure server could be used by malicious actors to launch attacks. This has been done before. cited The New York Times in an article on a major data breach that affected JPMorgan Chase bank. “Most large banks use double authentication schemes, also known as two-factor authentication. This requires a second, one-time password to gain entry to a protected system. JPMorgan’s security staff had apparently failed to update one of its network servers using the dual password scheme.

A thorough network audit is essential for finding security flaws.

How to find security vulnerabilities: penetration testing

After the network audit and asset inventory, it is time to stress-test the network to see if an attacker could attempt to breach it. This penetration testing allows cybersecurity professionals to identify security holes and close them before an attack occurs.

A penetration test’s methodology can vary depending on an organization’s cybersecurity architecture and cybersecurity risk profile. There is no “one size fits all” approach for penetration testing. The most common steps for a penetration test are:

1. A “white hat hacker” is needed to conduct the pen test at a specific date/time.
2. Auditing current systems to identify vulnerable assets.
3. Hackers simulate attacks on the network to find or exploit weaknesses.
4. An organization runs its incident response plan (IRP). This is to contain “attacks” that were simulated during penetration testing.

The last item can help identify security flaws and deficiencies in the company’s incident response. This information can be used to modify response plans or to reduce cybersecurity risk exposure.

How to find security vulnerabilities: Creating an intelligence framework

Security vulnerabilities can be found by using penetration testing. It is not the only way companies should use to identify security vulnerabilities. The threat Intelligence Framework is another tool to identify potential problems. This framework will help your company:

• Define the protection it requires.
• For network security, set goals.
• Identify the primary threat sources.
• Improve cybersecurity protections.
• Choose the right threat intelligence feeds to monitor cyber threats and attack strategies.

It is important to know what your top network security threats are in order to keep your cybersecurity protections current. Many companies use a managed cybersecurity services provider (MSSP) to help them identify and address these threats. These cybersecurity experts often have the tools and experience to make it easier to create a threat intelligence framework.

Many MSSPs offer vulnerability management and penetration testing services that quickly identify network security problems. They help customers close those security gaps so attackers cannot exploit them. MSSPs can also help companies create or modify incident response programs to minimize the impact of a security breach.

The first step in protecting sensitive data is to identify the most serious threats to your company. To minimize cybersecurity risks, however, you will need to put in a lot of effort, knowledge, and vigilance.