Cybercrimes are on the rise, with 556 million victims per year. Symantec reports that every digital criminal gets an average of $197 per victim, making it a must for companies to be more vigilant in guarding their valuable assets.
The key target of cybercriminals is a vulnerable database server, because it’s where confidential company data are stored. To know what weaknesses hackers usually exploit in enterprise databases, here are the 6 top system vulnerabilities:
#1 Unpatched Servers
Even when security researchers discover a new vulnerability, it still takes time to create a software patch that can mend it. The gap between the point when a vulnerability is discovered and the point when a patch is made available to address it is an unsecure period for databases. Computer worms and viruses can easily spread across systems when you have unpatched servers. To keep your business secure during this fragile period, employ virtual patching solutions to temporarily make your system impervious to exploits.
#2 Obsolete Security
Internet security expert Tom Kellerman ascertains that one new malware is created every second. Virus writers actively create new threats to bypass firewalls companies put up to protect their network. Therefore, companies must continuously update their security to fend off newfangled viruses. If enterprises choose to embrace traditional security in spite of the influx of modern threats, then their computer systems will definitely crash. It’s best to always update your defenses.
#3 Human Negligence
Cybercriminals also take advantage of employee weaknesses. A Trend Micro infographic shows that data breaches caused by external agents only amount to 8% of all recorded attacks. Company personnel losing devices containing valuable company data is the number one cause of security incidents across the globe. Training your employees to safely access and use your network resources is the only way to prevent them from compromising your system. Start security awareness programs for your work force to minimize incidences of human error exposing high-value enterprise records.
#4 Rash Virtualization
More and more corporations are introducing virtual components to their IT environments because of the financial benefits of virtualization. However, most of these companies are not aware of the negative impact virtualized systems may bring to network security. For instance, there’s a vast difference between protecting physical servers and virtual servers. So if a virtualized company’s network doesn’t deploy a modern, virtualization-aware software solution, hackers can easily access their databases. Safety for virtualized IT environments may be expensive, but the breaches that may spring from gaps in security definitely cost more. It’s highly recommended that you install advanced network protection in your IT infrastructure to outsmart and keep criminals away from your business.
#5 SQL Vulnerability
SQL injection is one of the most popular hacking techniques used by digital criminals. It’s when a hacker alters the strings of SQL commands in databases to execute malicious system-level attacks. Adobe is the most attacked application because of its various SQL injection flaws. In November 2012, an Adobe hacker was able to steal 150,000 user credentials by abusing an Adobe vulnerability. To avoid these kinds of server manipulations, deploy a comprehensive network-monitoring program that detects malicious activities deep in your system.
#6 Third-party Public Data Storage and File-sharing Services
High-income organizations are seeing the value of outsourcing file storage. Public cloud service providers like Dropbox and YouSendIt allow professionals to keep and share big files that cannot be stored and shared using the typical computer memory hard drives used in offices. However, the convenience these hosted services provide comes with a price–diminished privacy. For example, a software bug triggered by a system update exposed all Dropbox user accounts, compromising all the records archived in its database. Clearly, companies lose control of their files once they store them in public spaces. It’s then a prerequisite to encrypt all company information that you put in the cloud.
Each vulnerability has a solution. You just have to be aware of the latest threats to know what kinds of solution can best address them.
