As a business owner, you know that there are many risks that come with operating in the digital world. Hackers, cybercriminals, and data thieves are always looking for new ways to exploit businesses and steal sensitive information. If you’re not careful, your business could be at risk of a devastating data breach.
This guide explains advanced persistent threats, the steps that reduce digital risk, and the signs that your company may have been hacked.
What is APT Group?
Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) describes an adversary with sophisticated skills and significant resources that pursues its goals over a long period, as NIST defines it. Many APT groups are backed by nation-states, while others are well-funded criminal operations. They pose a serious threat to businesses of all sizes.
What Should You Do?
One of the best ways to protect your business from digital risks is to use a digital risk protection service. The Brandefense digital risk protection service watches for threats outside your network, such as leaked data, phishing domains and brand abuse. When it finds a fake site or account, Brandefense can request its takedown. Our digital risk protection guide explains how this works.
Another important step you can take to protect your business is to create a comprehensive security plan. Your security plan should include measures for protecting your network, securing your data, detecting intrusions, and responding to incidents. You should also make sure that all employees are aware of the security plan and know how to properly protect themselves online.
You should also keep up with the latest security news and updates. Brandefense provides intelligence from the dark web through dark web monitoring.
How to Prevent Data Breaches?
The best way to prevent data breaches is to make sure that you’re aware of any new vulnerabilities in your system. Your IT team should keep up with the latest security news, and they should be able to identify potential threats before they become real problems for your business.
If a breach does occur, you need an early alert from your monitoring, such as the Brandefense platform. Everyone on staff should also know how to respond so that no further damage is done.
How Do I Know if My Company Has Been Hacked?
There are several signs that indicate when a cyber attack may have occurred:
- Slow performance or other changes on computers in the network.
- Unusual account activity, such as emails about topics outside the user’s usual interests.
- Employees report suspicious behavior, such as being unable to log in to their work accounts.
These signs appear inside your network, so your IT team and security tools should watch for them. Brandefense watches the outside signals, such as leaked employee credentials and mentions of your company on the dark web. To see how this works, request a demo.
