How to defend against cyber threats

From cryptojacking to ransomware, identity theft to hardware flaws, Trend Micro’s systems can help keep you protected

(Getty Images)

We all know that cyber threats are real. These range from identity theft to ransomware – where you suddenly find you've downloaded malicious software which has now locked your data and threatens to block it for ever, or publish it, unless you pay ransom – and beyond.

In many cases, organisations or individuals pay up to keep their data private and accessible. Some say that settlements mean that the perpetrators are earning figures in the millions.

But until it happens to us, we may feel we're safe.

Malicious software

In the meantime, threats are growing and becoming more varied. Although much malicious software arrives via email, pretending to be legitimate communications, there are other threats, such as cryptojacking, which happens when someone's computer is used without authorisation to get at cryptocurrency.

There are also attacks on routers which can lead to websites being knocked out of service, not to mention recent discoveries of flaws in computer hardware that needed speedy patching to overcome the vulnerabilities.

The point is that defence against all these threats is necessary and needs to be able to change fast enough to keep up – there is no one silver bullet. As such, it can be difficult for IT administrators in even the most savvy of organisations to spot the telltale signs that indicate an attack.

Companies such as Trend Micro offer systems that aim to detect threats, analyse targeted attacks and, most importantly, prevent them from succeeding.

(plainpicture (plainpicture)

Now so much of a company's data and resources have been shifted to the cloud, defence is more important than ever. Trend Micro can help protect against undisclosed threats days or weeks before a hardware or software vendor provides the actual patch. The company uses traditional prevention techniques alongside machine learning to detect and block unknown threats.

Security at every level

After all, as modern threats use different entry points and a variety of methods, it's important to have protection that takes diverse forms and offers defence at every level, from server to network to the email system, for example. And, if all these protections come from one company – as Trend Micro offers – the threat intelligence can be shared.

Importantly, this means that if an attack evades one layer of protection, there are more opportunities to foil it.

At a time when the war against malicious attacks is increasingly frantic, a versatile, multi-layered defence that uses tried-and-trusted techniques as well as cutting-edge machine learning may offer security and peace of mind.

To protect your business against ever-evolving threats go to trendmicro.com