23 Aug Which Cyber Breach Entry Points do Cybercriminals Use Most?
When burglars case a house to rob, they look for easy access. Unlocked doors and open windows are the most common entry points into homes. What about business computer networks? What are the most vulnerable locations cybercriminals target for entry? How can you help your organization, or your clients secure these weak spots? Let’s take a look at the most common weaknesses criminals like to exploit.
Poor Security Patching
Lack of up-to-date security patches opens networks and devices to harm. A missed patch could even lead to direct administrative access. Staying current on all patches to preserve system health and protection is a necessity. Unfortunately, systems remain at risk until a vulnerability is discovered and a patch is created – sometimes, the hackers find the weakness before the vendor.
Weak Passwords
This vulnerability is one of the easiest to remedy yet remains one of the top breach points. Everybody has a plethora of passwords for every online account they own or every piece of hardware they use, so it’s not surprising that many workers violate cybersecurity best practices and use weak-easy-to-remember passwords or use the same password for multiple accounts.
Mobile Devices
With a more mobile workforce, it’s not surprising that more company devices get lost or stolen, left unattended while turned on, and used on non-secure Wi-Fi connections. Personal mobile devices present the same dangers, plus one: they often don’t bear sufficient security, like password protection or file encryption.
Unprotected Shared Folders
An organization’s share folders often contain sensitive data. Overly permissive protocols or unprotected folders directly endanger that data. And the risk is both external and internal.
MSPs can offer internal vulnerability scanning to help clients protect their networks and their data. It can be one of their most powerful tools. This proactive approach detects risks before they become incidents. Not only will regular vulnerability scanning provide better IT security for your clients, but the problems they uncover can expand your revenue.
Find more about how you can use vulnerability scanning to better protect yourself or your clients. Click here to request a demo.